美国国家公共电台 NPR--Putin makes unsubstantiated claim that Ukraine has plans to use a dirty bomb

Putin makes unsubstantiated claim that Ukraine has plans to use a dirty bomb

Transcript¹

Russia has given no evidence of Ukraine planning to use a bomb that would spread radiation on its own territory. The U.S. has warned Russia may be setting a pretext² for its own future actions.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Just how far can Russia push a disinformation campaign about Ukraine?

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

President Vladimir Putin is picking up a theme previously³ brought up by lower-ranking Russians. He is making an evidence-free claim about Ukraine that the U.S. says is false. Putin spoke⁴ at a meeting of intelligence chiefs from former Soviet⁵ republics.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN: (Speaking Russian).

MARTIN: What he said there - "We are aware of plans by Ukraine to use a dirty bomb as a provocation⁶." Now, Russia gave no evidence of Ukraine planning to use a bomb that would spread radiation on its own territory. The U.S. has warned that Russia may be setting a pretext for its own future actions.

INSKEEP: NPR's Charles Maynes is covering this story from Moscow. Hey there, Charles.

CHARLES MAYNES, BYLINE⁷: Hi there. Good morning.

INSKEEP: How has Russia injected this claim into the global discourse⁸?

MAYNES: You know, it all started over the weekend when members of Russia's defense⁹ ministry¹⁰ held calls with U.S. officials and started talking about dirty bombs. Then we heard from Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, then the foreign ministry and, of course, state media. So it's been a steady drumbeat here. And the Russian argument - it basically amounts to this. Ukraine civilian¹¹ nuclear facilities are being used to create a dirty bomb to detonate in Ukraine to then blame on Russia. And yesterday, as you said, Putin himself made the same charge in a video address. And that's raised concerns over what Putin might do next.

INSKEEP: OK, so you have this claim being made again and again without any evidence given, although the United States has already warned that it would be an incredibly serious mistake for Russia to detonate some kind of explosive device and blame it on Ukraine. How has this - how does this fit into Moscow's broader efforts to use nuclear threats in the war?

MAYNES: Well, you know, from the beginning, Putin has issued not-particularly-veiled threats to keep the West from getting too involved in Ukraine. For example, he raised Russia's nuclear alert level in the early days of the conflict, although U.S. officials said - and this is important - they saw no actual change in Russia's nuclear posture¹². Now, more recently, Putin said Russia would use any means necessary to defend what Moscow claims are these newly annexed¹³ Russian territories in Ukraine, with Putin warning it was no bluff¹⁴. And, you know, there are some in the West that are worried that this latest Russian charge concerning the dirty bomb reflects Putin's dwindling¹⁵ options on the battlefield. You know, as Russia has struggled, in part because of Western arms support to Ukraine, there are even voices here in Moscow that argue only a massive strike or the threat of one could shift Russia's fortunes. And so Russia's dirty bomb allegations, true or not, could in - some in the West say - provide Moscow with a pretext to take more drastic measures.

INSKEEP: Russia also did something else that could be seen as nuclear saber-rattling - a test of its nuclear defenses yesterday. Here's some of the sound of that sent by their defense ministry.

(SOUNDBITE OF MACHINE BEEPING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Speaking Russian).

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Speaking Russian).

INSKEEP: Somewhat ominous¹⁶ sounds there. What do we make of that?

MAYNES: Well, you know, let's be clear. You know, the Russians do these drills around this time every year. And Russian officials did warn the U.S. of these maneuvers¹⁷ in advance, as they're supposed to. So it wasn't a surprise. And the U.S. has its own version of this. Putin oversaw¹⁸ tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles, fired by land, air and sea, in what was a simulation of Russia's response to an enemy nuclear attack. So, you know, it's a drill, but it's also a message, given the timing¹⁹, and one that leaves the West with the same question it's had throughout the conflict in Ukraine - how far is Russia willing to go? We might get some more clues later today when Putin is expected to give a major foreign policy speech.

INSKEEP: NPR's Charles Maynes will be listening from Moscow. Charles, thanks so much.

MAYNES: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 pretext   

n.借口，托词

参考例句：

• He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
• He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

6 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

7 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

8 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

10 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。

11 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

12 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

13 annexed   

[法] 附加的，附属的

参考例句：

• Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
• The outlying villages were formally annexed by the town last year. 那些偏远的村庄于去年正式被并入该镇。

14 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

15 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

16 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

17 maneuvers   

n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He suspected at once that she had been spying upon his maneuvers. 他立刻猜想到，她已经侦察到他的行动。 来自辞典例句
• Maneuvers in Guizhou occupied the Reds for four months. 贵州境内的作战占了红军四个月的时间。 来自辞典例句

18 oversaw   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统，安然引退。 来自互联网
• Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网

19 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。