Ukrainian lawmakers visit the U.S. Capitol to ask for help in the war with Russia

Ukrainian lawmakers visit the U.S. Capitol to ask for help in the war with Russia

　　Transcript¹

　　NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to legislator Anastasia Radina, part of an all-female delegation² advocating for more aid and weapons to Ukraine. Because of martial³ law, the men are serving in the military.

　　STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

　　We got on the line yesterday with a Ukrainian leader on the move. Her name is Anastasia Radina. She's part of Ukraine's parliament and of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's governing party, and she was in Washington, D.C., making her way into the Capitol building as we spoke⁴.

　　ANASTASIA RADINA: We are here in delegation of ladies-only Ukrainian MPs because men do have their duty to serve in Ukraine right now.

　　INSKEEP: I see. So you're the ones who were available to come here.

　　RADINA: We do our job with words, sharing our stories and getting as much attention to them as possible.

　　INSKEEP: Anastasia Radina traveled to the United States seeking more help for her country.

　　RADINA: We need military support, first and foremost. And when I'm saying military support, we're not asking to send U.S. troop to fight on Ukrainian soil. We are fighting, and we are fighting courageously⁵. We aren't winning so far, but in order to ensure that we do win, we need weapons and we need that urgently. When I say urgently, I basically mean yesterday, without any delay.

　　INSKEEP: Of course, the United States has been supplying anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft missiles, most notably⁶, along with other kinds of equipment. What kinds of equipment or weapons do you need that you're not getting?

　　RADINA: As of now, we are still talking about the need for fighter jets. We're talking about the need for air defense⁷ systems. This is crucial to save the life of Ukrainian civilians⁸ who are right now suffering much more than the servicemen, because Russian troops are knowingly and deliberately⁹ making a war against Ukrainian civilians. For example, the whole world is watching in horror in Mariupol, where people are for weeks without food, without electricity, without heating, in shelters, in basement, without opportunity to get any life supplies. Russian troops are not allowing humanitarian¹⁰ corridors. I'm afraid I have to say that the situation is as bad that dead bodies are piling up on the streets, and there is simply no one able to ensure proper and dignified¹¹ burial for these people because shellings are going on constantly, and 90% of the city is already in ashes.

　　INSKEEP: As you and I are talking, Russian and Ukrainian representatives have emerged from peace talks in Istanbul. And Russian officials have been saying their troops are backing away from Kyiv and that they see that as a constructive¹² step to create room for negotiations¹³. What do you make of that statement?

　　RADINA: We are in war with Russia actually from 2014, when Russia first invaded and occupied Crimea, and then when Russia-supported terrorist troops invaded Donetsk and Luhansk regions. So we trust Russia when we see their troops actually withdraw - not before.

　　INSKEEP: Let me talk about something that your president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has mentioned on a number of occasions. He has talked, at times, of the possibility of neutral status for Ukraine, abandoning the ambition of joining NATO someday. But that might be something that has to be put to the Ukrainian people. So let me ask you, as a political leader, do you think that abandoning NATO could pass a referendum in Ukraine - neutral status?

　　RADINA: Well, I think that we can only talk about that when Russian troops are fully¹⁴ withdrawn¹⁵, because any negotiations while they are bombing our cities, when they are killing¹⁶ our civilians - that's just not a way to go. And let me just tell you that tonight, what they did is they shelled Mykolaiv once again and they hit the building of state administration. There are still people under rubble¹⁷. There are at least 10 civilians dead. Is this a situation when one can negotiate a compromise?

　　INSKEEP: Can I just ask - you're originally from Kyiv, is that right?

　　RADINA: Yes, I am from Kyiv. I am.

　　INSKEEP: What were circumstances like in that city before you left for this delegation?

　　RADINA: There were air raid alarms few times a day. It can be three times a day. It can be four times a day. Kyiv suburbs are still being shelled, and still missiles hit residential¹⁸ areas of the city. So as of now, at least half of the population of the city left. But those who are still in Kyiv cannot feel safe in any basically place around the city or in its suburbs. And fighting continues just, like, 20 kilometers away from the center of Kyiv.

　　INSKEEP: Have you spent a lot of your days and nights in bomb shelters?

　　RADINA: Unfortunately, I had to. Yes.

　　INSKEEP: How's your family?

　　RADINA: My family is in Ukraine. So right now, my family and my 2-year-old son is in Ukraine. And I have an application in my cellphone that tells me about the air raid alarms in the community where my son is staying. And may I tell you, this is the most terrifying experience I have ever had being a mother, hearing the air raid alarm in the community where my son is staying while I'm advocating on behalf of all Ukrainian mothers and their kids.

　　INSKEEP: That experience must be multiplied millions of times in Ukraine right now.

　　RADINA: Exactly. And many, many mothers in Ukraine have much more terrifying experiences. For example, I've just learned that a dead newborn has been recovered in shelter in Mariupol. Allegedly, there simply was no possibility to feed him. There are mothers who are blocked in shelters under rubble with no opportunity to feed their babies. There are mothers who have to explain to their kids why they are witnessing their parents dying. There are terrifying experiences all over Ukraine, and these are just few that get highlighted. So we wish you were to hear more of the terrifying stories.

　　RADINA: Anastasia Radina is a Ukrainian legislator now in the United States as part of what she called a ladies-only delegation because Ukrainian men are serving in the military.

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 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

3 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

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 courageously   

ad.勇敢地，无畏地

参考例句：

• Under the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the army and civilians in flooded areas fought the floods courageously, reducing the losses to the minimum. 在中共中央、国务院的正确领导下，灾区广大军民奋勇抗洪，把灾害的损失减少到了最低限度。
• He fought death courageously though his life was draining away. 他虽然生命垂危，但仍然勇敢地与死亡作斗争。

6 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

7 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。

8 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

9 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

10 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

11 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

12 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。

13 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

14 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

15 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

16 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

17 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

18 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。