VOA标准英语2008年-Disputes Strain Ukrainian-Russian Ties

The deterioration¹ of relations between Ukraine and Russia accelerated after Kyiv sided with Georgia during last month's conflict in South Ossetia. Worsening ties coincide with next year's expiration² of the bilateral³ Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership⁴, which both sides ratified⁵ in April 1999. The strategic 10-year agreement will be automatically extended, unless Ukraine or Russia declares its intention not to do so within six months of the expiration. The deadline for signaling such intent is October 1. While observers say it is likely to be renewed, the treaty is being reviewed by politicians, experts, and military officials on both sides. VOA Correspondent Peter Fedynsky has this report from a review conference in Moscow.

The Friendship Treaty has been tested in recent months as Moscow protested Ukrainian overtures⁶ to NATO and Kyiv accused Russia of seeking to destabilize Crimea by issuing passports to Russian residents of the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula.

Speaking at an experts' conference in Moscow, the former commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Igor Kasatonov, noted⁷ the Friendship Treaty guarantees the inviolability of Ukrainian borders. At the same time, he expressed concern that a new generation of Ukrainian soldiers - well-trained in military and legal affairs and also the Ukrainian language - feels comfortable and welcome in NATO circles. Kasatonov added that Ukraine is an indispensible and necessary partner that stands at geostrategic crossroads of important Russian economic and transportation interests. For this reason, he says Russia must wage a struggle for Ukraine.

The admiral says Russia needs to fight in specific and concrete terms, first of all using Russian institutions to address any necessary issues in Ukraine. Clearly, he says, Russia must maintain a firm position and not give the slightest ground regarding its interests.

Admiral Kasatonov says the continued presence of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol depends on the Friendship Treaty, which he recommends renewing.

Many conference participants expressed concern that the Ukrainian language is slowly squeezing out Russian, although moderator Konstantyn Zatulin recently said the use of Russian is increasing in Ukraine and is not threatened over the long term.

Russian Orthodox priest Georgiy Riabykh reiterated⁸ perceptions that Ukraine is promoting its language, culture, and history at the expense of Russian. While condemning⁹ Ukrainian politicians for allegedly interfering¹⁰ in church matters, he called on the Russian state to help develop what he called a single Orthodox civilization in Russia, Ukraine and other countries. Konstantyn Zatulin, a member of the Russian parliament, rejected that suggestion as a violation¹¹ of church-state separation. Apart from a desire for common religious ties, Georgiy Riabykh said the well-being¹² of modern Russia depends on its continued ties to Rus, a state that existed one-thousand years ago and whose rulers in Kyiv founded many Russian cities.

The priest says the interest Russians have in Ukraine and Belarus has nothing to do with any renewed imperial interests, or desire to avoid the loss of large territories that have great agricultural, geostrategic, geopolitical and economic value. The true reason, he says is a necessity to protect the civilizational unity¹³ of Ukraine and Russia, so that the national awareness¹⁴ of the Russian people may continue to be channeled in a healthy direction.
　
Ukraine's parliament in Kyiv

A member of the Ukrainian parliament, Dmytro Tabachnyk, noted public opinion polls, which show that Ukrainians took a dim view of Russian actions during last month's conflict with Georgia.

Tabachnyk says surveys indicate every fourth resident of Kyiv had a more negative opinion of Russia following the Georgian conflict and only every tenth had a better view. The Ukrainian lawmaker adds that failure to extend the Friendship Treaty will undermine the position of Ukrainian intellectuals and politicians who favor neutrality on the NATO issue.

Ruslan Greenberg, an economist¹⁵ at the Russian Academy of Sciences, said a NATO veto on Ukrainian military cooperation with Russia would be an economic catastrophe¹⁶ for his country. He noted, however, that neither country has met hopes of developing a First World economy, and in some regards have approached Third World standards. Greenberg added that whatever their position on NATO, most influential¹⁷ Ukrainian politicians will never stop moving in the direction of the European Union.

The economist says Russia should seek associate EU membership, or to have relations with the trading bloc¹⁸ similar to those of Switzerland or Norway, who have no representation in Brussels, but participate in a single European economic space. He says the only realistic and pragmatic approach for Ukraine and Russia is to both find a place in that European space.

The Foreign Ministry¹⁹ of Russia recently issued a statement saying Ukraine's desire for speedy NATO entry violates the spirit of the bilateral Friendship Treaty and Russian interests. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry response said Moscow can contribute to positive development of their ties, if it realizes the fact that Ukraine's decision to acquire EU and NATO membership is irreversible.

1 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

2 expiration   

n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物

参考例句：

• Can I have your credit card number followed by the expiration date?能告诉我你的信用卡号码和它的到期日吗?
• This contract shall be terminated on the expiration date.劳动合同期满，即行终止。

3 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

4 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

5 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

6 overtures   

n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲

参考例句：

• Their government is making overtures for peace. 他们的政府正在提出和平建议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had lately begun to make clumsy yet endearing overtures of friendship. 最近他开始主动表示友好，样子笨拙却又招人喜爱。 来自辞典例句

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

9 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

11 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

12 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

13 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

14 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

15 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

16 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

17 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

18 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

19 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。