英语新闻赏析No foreseeable end to Ukraine-centered geopolitical battle: expert

张文

Regarding the escalation(增加，扩大，逐步升级） of tension /and eruption of violence /in Ukraine last week, /Feng Yujun, /director of the Institute of Russian Studies /in the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), /offered the following comment:

张文

The deep root of the chaos in Ukraine /lies in /the fact /that the Ukrainian elite/ has failed to bridge the gap with（缩小差距） /the general public/ in terms of the political/ and cultural differences within the country; /neither has it succeeded in forging a unified national identity /in a period of social transition.

张文

Ukraine lacks a clear national strategic plan /which spells out（阐述） the direction /it will take /for its future development. /Meanwhile, /geopolitical arm-wrestling（掰手腕） over the country /by major world powers /has also contributed to tearing（撕裂） Ukraine apart.

张文

Ukraine is a large European country /with an extremely important geopolitical value./To the Russian Federation, /Kiev is the place/ where its civilization originated,/ and Ukraine is a strategic pivot（一个战略支点）/ if it wants to realize its dream of rejuvenation（返老还童，恢复活力，复兴）.

张文

After being elected President for the third time, /Putin stepped up his promotion of Euroasian integration, /in which Ukraine is an indispensable（不可或缺的） link.
Against the backdrop（背景） of instability in the balance of（...的平衡） power /and intensified political conflict between Russia and the US,/ it will be an unbearable loss for Russia /if Ukraine turns to the West.

张文

The US and Europe also value（重视） the geopolitical significance of Ukraine./ In his 1997 book /The Grand Chessboard（《大棋局：美国的首要地位及其地缘战略》）, /former US National Security Advisor（美国国家安全顾问） Zbigniew Brzezinski described Ukraine as a geopolitical pivot/ whose very existence as an independent country transforms the position of Russia.  

张文

"Without Ukraine, /Russia ceases to be a Eurasian empire," /Brzezinski wrote. /The US and Europe, /backed by（坚持，支持） their conviction /that Russia is "too weak, too backward and too poor" to intervene, /have hastened their efforts /to put pressure on the Ukrainian authorities /and support its opposition Parties.

张文

US Vice President Biden/ has signaled to Ukrainian president Yanukovych /on several occasions（屡次） /to warn him of severe US sanctions（制裁，处罚） against Ukraine/ should the Ukrainian government use force against the opposition,/ and US Assistant Secretary of State Nuland /has even instructed US Ambassador/ on the composition of the next Ukrainian government.
At the moment, /it is hard to tell /which way the situation in Ukraine /will go. But it is certain /that parties in Ukraine have a long way to go/ before they can mend any political fences, /and the geopolitical battle over the country /will continue to be fought by major powers /in the foreseeable future.

张文

每一段有用斜线划开的不同意群，方便理解。

张文

有备注一些生词的意思，大家可以看一看，试着理解一下