普京呼籲討論烏東地區"國家地位"
Vladimir Putin yesterday provoked new fears that he is seeking the partition of Ukraine by calling for talks on “statehood” for the rebellious southeast of the country.
弗拉基米爾•普京(Vladimir Putin)昨日引發有關他在推動分裂烏克蘭的新的擔憂，因爲他呼籲就該國叛逆的東南部的“國家地位”問題舉行談判。The Russian president’s comments are the latest escalation in rhetoric from the Kremlin and come as Europe prepares to impose tougher sanctions on Moscow. They follow an intensification of fighting in eastern Ukraine that Kiev and western governments say is being fuelled by an inflow of Russian soldiers and equipment.
俄羅斯總統此言代表着克里姆林宮在言論上的最新升級，而且適逢歐洲準備對莫斯科實施更嚴厲制裁。普京發表此言之前，烏克蘭東部戰鬥加劇，基輔方面和西方政府表示，俄羅斯軍人和裝備的流入助燃了戰火。
“We must immediately begin substantive, meaningful negotiations, not on technical questions but on questions of the political structure of society and of the statehood of southeast Ukraine in order to guarantee the legal interests of people who live there,” Mr Putin said in a television interview.
“我們必須立即展開實質性的、有意義的談判，不是關於技術問題，而是關於烏克蘭東南部的社會政治結構和國家地位，以保證居住在那裏的人民的合法權益，”普京在電視上接受採訪時表示。
The use of the word “statehood”, while imprecise, is likely to antagonise Kiev. Dmitry Peskov, the president’s spokesman, sought to play down the remarks. He said Mr Putin had been calling for inclusive talks with the separatists to start as soon as possible, but that it was “absolutely wrong” to interpret his words as calling for independence for eastern Ukraine.
使用“國家地位”(statehood)這個詞雖然不精確，但很可能惹惱基輔。普京發言人德米特里•巴斯科夫(Dmitry Peskov)試圖淡化這些言論。他表示，普京的本意是呼籲儘快啓動與分裂分子的包容性談判，把他的話解讀爲呼籲烏克蘭東部獨立是“絕對錯誤”的。However, the escalation in the conflict is likely to draw a western response this week. General Philip Breedlove, Nato supreme allied commander in Europe, said the alliance would “take head on” the engagement of Russian troops in Ukraine at a summit in Wales on Thursday. European leaders agreed at the weekend to prepare new sanctions within a week.
不過，衝突升級很可能在本週引發西方的迴應。北約(NATO)歐洲盟軍最高司令、美國空軍上將菲利普•布里德洛夫(Philip Breedlove)上週四在威爾士舉行的一個峯會上表示，北約將“正面迎戰”在烏克蘭境內參戰的俄軍部隊。歐洲領導人週末同意在一週內準備好實施新的制裁。In his interview, Mr Putin indirectly addressed allegations that Russian troops were fighting in Ukraine. “It must be taken into account that Russia cannot remain indifferent to the fact that people are being shot almost point-blank,” he said, before clarifying that he was referring to the Russian people, not the government.
普京在採訪中間接應對了有關俄軍部隊在烏克蘭作戰的指控。“人們必須考慮到，在人們在近距離被槍殺的情況下，俄羅斯不可能無動於衷，”他表示。他隨即澄清說，他指的是俄羅斯人，而不是政府。
