Biden announced another $800 million in weapons for Ukraine

Biden announced another $800 million in weapons for Ukraine

Transcript¹

President Biden announced another $800 million in weapons for Ukraine for its fight against Russia, and says he will need to ask Congress for more money next week.

AMART?NEZ, HOST:

President Biden this morning announced another $800 million in military aid for Ukraine. This is just one part of support for Ukraine as it tries to beat back the invasion by Russia.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: To modernize² Teddy Roosevelt's famous advice, sometimes you will speak softly and carry a large Javelin³ because we're sending a lot of those in as well. You know, but we're not sitting on the funding that Congress has provided for Ukraine. We're sending it directly to the front lines of freedom.

MART?NEZ: But President Biden says more is needed, and next week he'll ask Congress for another wave of funding. Here to tell us more, NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid. The 800 million the president announced today comes on top of another 800 million in security assistance that the president announced just last week. And now he's going to have to go to Capitol Hill to get more money to help Ukraine.

ASMA KHALID, BYLINE⁴: That's right, A. And, you know, I will say the president said today with this latest disbursement⁵ he's essentially⁶ drawn⁷ down everything Congress has authorized⁸ for Ukraine, and that in order to keep weapons flowing to Ukrainians for this next phase of the war against Russia, in order to do that without any interruption, he does intend to ask Congress for more money next week. You know, the key question is, how much? And I will say that is unclear. He says it's being decided⁹ right now. He's asking the Defense¹⁰ Department to put something together on what they think is needed. But I was, you know, particularly struck by a question the president was asked near the end of his remarks today, which is, how long can the U.S. keep funding this war? How long is it sustainable? Here's how the president answered.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BIDEN: Well, we have the capacity to do this for a long time. The question is, are we going to continue to maintain the support of the international community and keep the pressure on Putin to prevent him from overrunning the country?

MART?NEZ: So what exactly does today's announcement of more military aid entail¹¹?

KHALID: Well, the president says that the U.S. is really trying to assist Ukraine quickly ahead of this next phase of the war. He says it's clear that Russians could not capture Ukraine's capital of Kyiv, And so they're trying to regroup and target the eastern part of the country, the Donbas. And in Biden's words, there's really a critical window right now where the U.S. and allies have to work quickly to get Ukraine the weapons that it needs. He says that this fiery¹² fight in the eastern part of the country is going to take place in a flatter region. It's going to require different kinds of weapons. He says that will mean heavy artillery¹³ weapons, howitzers, 144,000 rounds of ammunition¹⁴ and more tactical drones.

MART?NEZ: Now, the Biden administration also announced a new program to, in theory, streamline¹⁵ the process for refugees to come to the U.S. How is that going to work?

KHALID: Yeah, you're right. You know, the president pledged in Europe last month that the U.S. would take in as many as a hundred thousand Ukrainian refugees. To date, there hasn't been really a process to accept folks coming in. Next week, the Department of Homeland Security is standing¹⁶ up a website for sponsors here in the U.S. to upload affidavits¹⁷ to financially support Ukrainians who want to come to the U.S. They will then have to go through a screening process. But really, this process is targeting Ukrainians in Europe. To date, almost 15,000 Ukrainians have crossed into the United States via the southern land border in Mexico during just the past couple of months. They have been given some exemptions¹⁹, but U.S. officials today made it very clear that starting next week, they do not intend to allow giving Ukrainians at the southern border an exemption¹⁸ to come into the U.S..

MART?NEZ: That's NPR's Asma Khalid. Thanks a lot.

KHALID: My pleasure.

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 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

3 javelin   

n.标枪，投枪

参考例句：

• She achieved a throw of sixty metres in the javelin event.在掷标枪项目中，她掷了60米远。
• The coach taught us how to launch a javelin.教练教我们投标枪。

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 disbursement   

n.支付，付款

参考例句：

• Marine bill of lading showing any disbursement charges marked COLLECT not acceptable. 海运提单上显示的任何费用标明“到付”将不予接受。
• This makes the disbursement of 51 channel is very convenient. 这就使得51的支付渠道非常方便。

6 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

7 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

8 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 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。

11 entail   

vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
• This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。

12 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

13 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

14 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

15 streamline   

vt.使成流线型；使简化；使现代化

参考例句：

• We must streamline our methods.我们必须简化方法。
• Any liquid or gas passing it will have streamline flow.任何通过它的液体或气体将呈流线型的流动。

16 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

17 affidavits   

n.宣誓书，（经陈述者宣誓在法律上可采作证据的）书面陈述( affidavit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The woman offered written affidavits proving that she was the widow of Pancho Villa. 这女人提供书面证书，证明自己是庞科·比亚的遗孀。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The appeal was adjourned for affidavits to be obtained. 为获得宣誓证明书，上诉被推迟。 来自口语例句

18 exemption   

n.豁免，免税额，免除

参考例句：

• You may be able to apply for exemption from local taxes.你可能符合资格申请免除地方税。
• These goods are subject to exemption from tax.这些货物可以免税。

19 exemptions   

n.（义务等的）免除( exemption的名词复数 )；免（税）；（收入中的）免税额

参考例句：

• The exemptions for interpretive rules, policy statements, and procedural rules have just been discussed. 有关解释性规则、政策说明和程序规则的免责我们刚刚讨论过。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• A: The regulation outlines specific exemptions for some WPM. 答：该规定概述了某些木质包装材料的特定的例外情形。 来自互联网