VOA标准英语2010年-Will Moscow-Kiyv Ties Improve After Uk

Ukrainians go to the polls Sunday to elect a new president. Analysts¹ say who wins will determine the course of relations between Ukraine and Russia.

Andre de Nesnera | Washington 15 January 2010

Billboards² for presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko are seen as people wait at a bus stop in Kiev, 13 Jan 2010

Public opinion surveys indicate current President Viktor Yushchenko is trailing several other candidates as the country prepares to vote in presidential elections Sunday, January 17. The two front runners are former Yushchenko ally and prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, and Viktor Yanukovich, leader of the "Party of Regions" in the Ukrainian parliament.

During his five-year presidency³, Mr. Yushchenko has steered⁴ a distinctly pro-Western course, seeking membership in the European Union and in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - or NATO.

Russia has consistently criticized Mr. Yushchenko's pro-European policies and strongly opposed Ukraine's NATO membership bid.

James Sherr, with the London-based research organization, Chatham House, says there are two reasons for Moscow's position.

 

 

"Ukraine, for Russia, is not just a neighbor. Ukraine, for Russia, is part of Russia's own identity. Kiyv and Rus is the origin of the Russian, as well as the Ukrainian state - that's the way Russians see it. So any movement by NATO into Ukraine is seen, at least emotionally, as a direct encroachment⁵ on Russia itself," he said.  "And the second issue is that behind NATO they [the Russians] see the United States and U.S. power - and they remain as convinced as in the past that it is in the U.S. national interest to weaken Russia as an authentically⁶ independent countervailing pole in the international system," he said.

Many analysts say if pre-election public opinion surveys are correct and current president Yushchenko is defeated, that would mean potentially better relations with Russia.

"With the exception of Yushchenko, most of the politicians, including all of those vying⁷ for the presidency, and certainly the two major candidates, are arguing for, in one way or another, a balanced policy that would attempt to create a constructive⁸, productive relationship with Russia," said Robert Legvold of Columbia University. "Some tilt⁹ more in favor of focusing on Russia, like the leader of the Communist Party [Petro] Symonenko and Yanukovich, as the head of the 'Party of Regions.'  And others, like Tymoshenko and a few other candidates focus on the European option as well. But there is nobody who is saying that we ought to choose one side - East - over the other side - West - or vice-versa," he said.

Ukrainian opposition¹⁰ leader Viktor Yanukovych (File)

In the last presidential election in 2004, Russia openly supported Viktor Yanukovich, who was declared the winner in a run-off with Viktor Yuschenko. But hundreds of thousands of Yushchenko supporters took to the streets, protesting the results, which were subsequently declared fraudulent by the Ukrainian Supreme¹¹ Court and international monitors. In a second election, Mr. Yushchenko defeated Mr. Yanukovich.

Robert Legvold says this time around, the Russian leadership is far more guarded.

"They obviously are very interested in who is going to win this election, but they don't appear to feel that they have a horse in this race that they need to go to lengths to support," he said. "I think they would be perfectly¹² content if Tymoshenko wins, they know that Yanukovich, who in the past has been their preferred candidate, would not do their bidding, that in the end he will defend Ukraine's interests as he sees it. And if that means cutting deals with the European Union or with the West, he will do it. So I think the Russians are more or less comfortable with what's going to come out of this election," he added.

Experts say sources of friction¹³ between Kiyv and Moscow will remain whoever is elected president of Ukraine, such as the long-term, unresolved question of the Russian Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol. But analysts say the strong anti-Russian views as espoused¹⁴ by President Yushchenko will no longer be part of the Ukrainian political landscape.

 

1 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

2 billboards   

n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
• Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上，却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号

3 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

4 steered   

v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导

参考例句：

• He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
• The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 encroachment   

n.侵入，蚕食

参考例句：

• I resent the encroachment on my time.我讨厌别人侵占我的时间。
• The eagle broke away and defiantly continued its encroachment.此时雕挣脱开对方，继续强行入侵。

6 authentically   

ad.sincerely真诚地

参考例句：

• Gina: And we should give him something 2 authentically Taiwanese. 吉娜：而且我们应该送他有纯正台湾味的东西。
• A loser is one who fails to correspond authentically. 失败者则指那些未能做到诚实可靠的人。

7 vying   

adj.竞争的；比赛的

参考例句：

• California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
• Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。

8 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

9 tilt   

v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜

参考例句：

• She wore her hat at a tilt over her left eye.她歪戴着帽子遮住左眼。
• The table is at a slight tilt.这张桌子没放平，有点儿歪.

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

11 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

12 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

13 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

14 espoused   

v.（决定）支持，拥护（目标、主张等）( espouse的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They espoused the notion of equal opportunity for all in education. 他们赞同在教育方面人人机会均等的观念。
• The ideas she espoused were incomprehensible to me. 她所支持的意见令我难以理解。 来自《简明英汉词典》