Natural gas is playing a major role in the Russia-Ukraine crisis

Natural gas is playing a major role in the Russia-Ukraine crisis

Transcript¹

One of the strongest levers the U.S. has against Moscow is sanctions against key Russian commodities, like oil and gas. Earlier this week, President Biden warned that includes a natural gas pipeline².

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Russia has planned a major military exercise in Belarus today on the Ukrainian border. Meanwhile, Russian warships³ have already made their way into the Black Sea. These military moves are complicating⁴ the diplomatic effort to end the crisis between Russia and Ukraine. One of the strongest levers that the U.S. and its allies have against Moscow is sanctions, particularly oil and gas, which prop⁵ up Russia's economy. And earlier this week, President Biden warned that if Russia invades Ukraine, this multibillion-dollar pipeline called Nord Stream 2 will not become operational. NPR's international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam joins us now. Good morning, Jackie.

JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE⁶: Good morning, Rachel.

MARTIN: What makes this pipeline so central to this crisis?

NORTHAM: Right. Well, Nord Stream 2 is an $11 billion project that's designed to pipe natural gas directly from Russia to Germany. And it's about 750 miles long and runs under the Baltic Sea, and that means it would avoid Ukraine, which other pipelines⁷ pass through. Also, Russia wouldn't have to pay any costly⁸ transit⁹ fees that it currently does to Ukraine. You know, the construction on Nord Stream 2 is complete, but it still hasn't been certified¹⁰, so it's not pumping any gas yet. And some of the holdup is believed to be political.

MARTIN: Right. We'll get to that. So this thing, though, has already been built. How do you bring an end to it?

NORTHAM: That's a question that came up, you know, to a lot of people's minds. And to try and understand that I called up James Waddell, and he heads up European gas at the London-based Energy Aspects. And he says it would have been better if the U.S. had done something while the pipeline was being built. But Waddell says now there are a few things the U.S. could target that could stop the operation. Let's have a listen.

JAMES WADDELL: Things like companies being able to do maintenance and providing insurance. But I think the real option and the sort of worst-case scenario¹¹ for anyone buying gas, which is the big sort of five European backers of the pipeline, is if they were directly sanctioned, the financiers of the project.

MARTIN: Ah, OK. So when Biden says that the U.S. is going to shut down Nord Stream 2 - which is this deal between two separate independent countries, Russia and Germany - is he alluding¹² to sanctions, then?

NORTHAM: Yes, that would be the short answer - is this is all about sanctions. You know, the U.S. has always opposed this pipeline because it could give Moscow too much leverage¹³ over Europe. Europe relies on Russian natural gas to, you know, heat homes and run factories and the like. And there's a lot of pressure on President Biden to take a hard line on Nord Stream 2, particularly from congressional Republicans. I spoke¹⁴ with Matthew Bey, and he's an energy specialist at RANE, which is a risk intelligence firm. Here he is.

MATTHEW BEY: You can probably make the argument that it is just as much about the domestic audience as it is the international audience, whereas if there is an invasion of Ukraine, President Biden will be basically forced to do something. And what is the do-something that right now the Republicans are asking him to do? It's sanction Nord Stream 2.

NORTHAM: And of course, this runs the risk of alienating¹⁵ European countries, particularly Germany, because, as you know, this is a hugely important project for them and they see as their energy independence, although we should say that Germany's chancellor¹⁶ has said all options are on the table.

MARTIN: And there's always the possibility that Russia could retaliate¹⁷ and shut off the flow of natural gas from other pipelines into Europe.

NORTHAM: Yes, and that's seen as a lose-lose situation. Europe relies on Russia for natural gas, and Russia relies on revenue from sales to Europe.

MARTIN: NPR's Jackie Northam. Thank you.

NORTHAM: Thanks so much.

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 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

3 warships   

军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只

参考例句：

• The enemy warships were disengaged from the battle after suffering heavy casualties. 在遭受惨重伤亡后，敌舰退出了海战。
• The government fitted out warships and sailors for them. 政府给他们配备了战舰和水手。

4 complicating   

使复杂化( complicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• High spiking fever with chills is suggestive of a complicating pylephlebitis. 伴有寒战的高热，暗示合并门静脉炎。
• In America these actions become executive puberty rites, complicating relationships that are already complicated enough. 在美国，这些行动成了行政青春期的惯例，使本来已经够复杂的关系变得更复杂了。

5 prop   

vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山

参考例句：

• A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。
• The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

6 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。

7 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

8 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

9 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

10 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

11 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

12 alluding   

提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He didn't mention your name but I was sure he was alluding to you. 他没提你的名字，但是我确信他是暗指你的。
• But in fact I was alluding to my physical deficiencies. 可我实在是为自己的容貌寒心。

13 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

14 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。

15 alienating   

v.使疏远( alienate的现在分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• The phenomena of alienation are widespread. Sports are also alienating. 异化现象普遍存在，体育运动也不例外。 来自互联网
• How can you appeal to them without alienating the mainstream crowd? 你是怎么在不疏忽主流玩家的情况下吸引住他们呢？ 来自互联网

16 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

17 retaliate   

v.报复，反击

参考例句：

• He sought every opportunity to retaliate against his enemy.他找机会向他的敌人反击。
• It is strictly forbidden to retaliate against the quality inspectors.严禁对质量检验人员进行打击报复。