VOA标准英语2014--US, Britain: Tough Sanctions Against Russia if Ukraine Vote Is Disrupted

 

US, Britain: Tough Sanctions Against Russia if Ukraine Vote Is Disrupted

LONDON — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary William Hague say the United States and European Union will hit Russia with far tougher economic sanctions if it tries to disrupt next week's presidential election in Ukraine. Kerry and Hague discussed the crisis in Ukraine Thursday in London with foreign ministers from France, Italy, and Germany.

Foreign Secretary Hague says the European Union and United States are preparing broader, sectoral¹ sanctions against Russia if it interferes² with May 25 voting to choose a new government in Kyiv.

"Russia's behavior towards the elections will determine whether or not wider economic and trade sanctions will be applied," he said.

Pro-Russian separatists have seized government buildings across eastern Ukraine, declaring sovereignty in two regions and rejecting plans for next week's presidential vote. Hague says disrupting that vote can take many different forms, so actions that Russia might be punished for cannot be defined in advance.

"We can't give and wouldn't want to give an exact definition of that," he said. "If we set a red line, Russia knows that they can go up to that red line without those sanctions."

Secretary Kerry says the U.S. and European Union message to Moscow is simple:

"Let Ukraine vote. Let the Ukrainian people choose their future," he said. "And let them do so in a fair, open, free, accessible, election."

Kerry says he hopes to avoid tougher sanctions and gain Russia's help in de- escalating³ the crisis.

"Our hope is that Russia will join in to encourage the vote, that Russia will encourage pro-Russian separatists to say that they should work through the process that has now been opened up - that Russia has helped insist on - so that process can now be given a chance to work," he said.

Ukraine launched national unity⁴ talks Wednesday without the participation⁵ of pro-Russian separatists. Kerry says the process is part of "serious, concrete plans" for increased autonomy and decentralization.

Russia says it fears for the rights of Russian-speakers in eastern provinces of Ukraine. Kerry told reporters in London that the level of self-governance being offered by Kyiv "far exceeds any level of autonomy or decentralization that exists anywhere in Russia.

1 sectoral   

adj.扇形的

参考例句：

• Is agriculture actually taxed by sectoral policies, or is It'subsidized? 按照部门政策，农业实际上是上缴了税还是得到了补贴呢？ 来自辞典例句
• In the 1980s this concept was used to buttress several so-called sectoral reciprocity proposals. 80年代这一原则曾被用来支持几个所谓部分互惠建议。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

2 interferes   

vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉

参考例句：

• The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
• That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。

3 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。