VOA标准英语2008年-Russia Suspends Cooperation With NATO

Russia has stopped all military cooperation with NATO after alliance foreign ministers said future ties depend on Russia pulling back troops in the former Soviet¹ republic of Georgia. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the Bush administration says Russia is violating an agreement to withdraw those troops.

Russia has notified NATO that it is halting international military cooperation with the alliance until further notice.

NATO last week suspended plans for a Russian ship to join counterterrorism patrols in the Mediterranean² Sea following Russia's invasion of Georgian territory outside the breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
　
Gordon Johndroe (File)

Given NATO's own action, White House Spokesman Gordon Johndroe says Russia's decision to end military cooperation with NATO does not mean much.

"For all practical purposes, military-to-military cooperation had really already been suspended with the Russians," he said. "NATO canceled some exercises, and I can't imagine a circumstance right now that we would engage in military cooperation with the Russians until the situation in Georgia is resolved."

Under a 2002 agreement with NATO, Russia agreed to cooperate on a number of projects including anti-missile technology, sea rescues, and combating heroin³ trafficking in Afghanistan.

Johndroe says the United States is hopeful for the day that military cooperation will resume, but he says right now Russia is making decisions that he says are not in line with becoming part of a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace.
　
Russian soldiers sit atop a tank, with a portrait of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the background, in Tskhinvali, the main city of the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia, 20 Aug 2008

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia intends to keep 500 troops at a series of checkpoints in a security zone surrounding South Ossetia.

Johndroe says Russia is violating its commitment to withdraw to previous positions in South Ossetia and Abkhazia as part of a French-brokered cease-fire.

"The Russians need to honor their commitment," he said. "They made a commitment to withdraw. We expect them to withdraw."

Russia is promising⁴ to complete that withdrawal⁵ by Friday.

U.S. military spokesman Bryan Whitman says Russian movements are minimal⁶ and there is no evidence of a significant military withdrawal.

U.S. President George Bush says South Ossetia and Abkhazia are part of Georgia's international recognized borders and Russia must not lay claim to the territories.

Foreign Minister Lavrov last week said Georgia can forget about getting back the separatist regions as Russian President Dmitri Medvedev met with the self-declared leaders of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The upper house of Russia's parliament is set to begin debate Monday on recognizing the independence of the two republics.

 

1 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。

2 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

3 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

4 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

5 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

6 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。