The U.S. and allies plan to step up sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine

The U.S. and allies plan to step up sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine

　　Transcript¹

　　President Biden is leaving for Brussels and Warsaw, a trip where he plans to meet with NATO allies, and discuss how to hold Russia to account for its invasion of Ukraine.

　　A MARTINEZ, HOST:

　　Keeping the allies united has been one of President Biden's key objectives in the response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Now three weeks into the conflict, he is traveling to Brussels for a series of meetings. His goal - maintain the unity² and intensify³ the consequences for Russia. NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith joins us from Brussels.

　　President Biden is going to attend an emergency NATO summit, G-7 meeting and also speak to the European Council. Tamara, that's all in one day. So what do you expect to come out of these meetings?

　　TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE⁴: You know, this is the latest push to try to keep Western leaders moving in lockstep on this crisis. We've seen the president be very deliberate in his moves on sanctions to make sure that everyone was on the same page before announcing new moves. And at times, that has opened him up to criticism from members of Congress for not moving as quickly as they would like.

　　Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser⁵, told us yesterday that Biden plans to stay the course and that the leaders will announce more sanctions.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

　　JAKE SULLIVAN: He will join our partners in imposing⁶ further sanctions on Russia and tightening⁷ the existing sanctions to crack down on evasion⁸ and to ensure robust⁹ enforcement. He will work with allies on longer term adjustments to NATO force posture¹⁰ on the eastern flank. He will announce joint¹¹ action on enhancing European energy security and reducing Europe's dependence¹² on Russian gas at long last.

　　KEITH: We've also been told to expect more humanitarian¹³ assistance to be announced for Ukrainians still inside the country and those who have fled. Two more things that Biden wants to talk to leaders about - China's close relationship with Russia and whether Russia should be allowed to stay in the G-20. That's one of those groups of the world's biggest economies. You'll recall that Russia was kicked out of what was the G-8 after it annexed¹⁴ Crimea in 2014.

　　MARTINEZ: Now, there's some symbolism here - an American president going to Europe as a war rages on. And we know President Biden has been holding calls with these leaders for months. What does it say that he's actually going to be there in person?

　　KEITH: There's a moment at the beginning of all of these big international meetings - one that to me up to now has always just seemed like an awkward photo op. It's called the family photo.

　　Here's how Jim Townsend describes it. He is a former deputy assistant secretary of defense¹⁵ for Europe and NATO.

　　JIM TOWNSEND: He's got to go there. And, you know, they do the family photo. You know, at NATO, they have all the heads of state and government line up on those risers, and they take the family photo. That's really important. That family photo is going to show everyone that these guys are unified¹⁶.

　　KEITH: Townsend says this moment matters. It matters to people in Europe who are really nervous about this conflict. And it sends a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who expected the NATO alliance to be wobbly, that it isn't, that it's stuck together. But unity requires care and tending. And that's what President Biden is doing on this trip.

　　MARTINEZ: Now, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is going to speak to this joint session and NATO remotely. He spoke¹⁷ to the U.S. Congress last week and to a number of other countries as well. He's been pushing both to join NATO and to get more defensive¹⁸ support. Will there be more announcements on military equipment from this meeting?

　　KEITH: It's likely that there will be some announcements coming from individual countries. I spoke with Ian Lesser¹⁹, the vice²⁰ president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He works here in Brussels. And he says thus far it's been a coalition²¹ of the willing members of NATO moving. The challenge here is that they want to keep maximum pressure on Russia. They want to provide maximum support for Ukraine, which isn't a NATO member. But they also don't want to make a move that escalates²² the conflict.

　　MARTINEZ: That's White House correspondent Tamara Keith. Thanks a lot.

　　KEITH: You're welcome.

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 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

4 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。

5 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

6 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

7 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

8 evasion   

n.逃避，偷漏(税)

参考例句：

• The movie star is in prison for tax evasion.那位影星因为逃税而坐牢。
• The act was passed as a safeguard against tax evasion.这项法案旨在防止逃税行为。

9 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

10 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。

11 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

12 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

13 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。

14 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。

15 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。

16 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

17 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。

18 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

19 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。

20 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

21 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

22 escalates   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的第三人称单数 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• As the challenge escalates, the need for teamwork elevates. 面临的挑战越大，越需要团队协同合作。 来自互联网
• I cannot understand why a minor disagreement escalates into a fist-fight. 我真不明白为什么一点意见不合就变成了拳头相见。 来自互联网