面對烏克蘭局勢 奧巴馬選擇不多

Until Friday, the American approach to Ukraine's mounting crisis was designed explicitly to show the U.S. didn't view this as a return of Cold War frictions, but as an opportunity to work with Moscow to stabilize a former Soviet state.

直到本週五，面對不斷升級的烏克蘭危機，美國的應對措施還完全是爲了表明，美國並未將該事件視爲冷戰時期俄美衝突的死灰復燃，而只是將此作爲一次與莫斯科攜手穩定一個前蘇聯國家局勢的機會。

That changed late in the day when President Barack Obama bluntly warned Russia against intervening in Ukraine, a stark indication that old tensions are seeping back into the relationship.

但週五晚間一切都發生了變化。美國總統奧巴馬(Barack Obama)直言不諱地警告俄羅斯不要干預烏克蘭局勢。這一強烈的信號表明，兩個老對手似乎又將陷入舊日的緊張關係。

'We are now deeply concerned about military movements taken by the Russian Federation inside of Ukraine,' Mr. Obama said. 'Just days after the world came to Sochi for the Olympic Games, it would invite the condemnation of nations around the world.'

奧巴馬錶示，美國對俄羅斯聯邦在烏克蘭境內採取的軍事行動深表關切。如果在全球運動員到俄羅斯參加冬季奧運會後僅數天時間發生這種情況，將招致全球各國的譴責。

The statement, delivered in a rare late-afternoon appearance at the White House press room, was an indication of the mounting concern in Washington that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be prepared to take drastic steps to keep Ukraine in Moscow's orbit. It sent a message that Mr. Putin should be under no illusions about the damage such steps would wreak.

奧巴馬是週五晚間在白宮新聞發佈會室發表上述聲明的。該聲明表明，美國政府越來越擔心，俄羅斯總統普京(Vladimir Putin)可能準備採取激進措施來確保烏克蘭不脫離莫斯科陣營。奧巴馬的這一聲明向普京傳達了一個明白無誤的信息：不應對於此類措施可能導致的嚴重後果抱有幻想。

The White House had been cautious in its comments on Ukraine. Since Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's overthrow a week ago, the administration avoided casting the revolution there as a victory for the West.

白宮此前對烏克蘭局勢的評論都較爲謹慎。自烏克蘭總統亞努科維奇(Viktor Yanukovych)一週前被推翻後，美國政府並未將烏克蘭的革命稱爲西方的勝利。

Mr. Obama's latest statements, like those of other top U.S. officials this week, lacked any indication of what the U.S. would do in response to a Russian military incursion. The warnings did, however, underscore the limited range of available options.

與其他美國高級官員本週的發言一樣，奧巴馬最新的聲明中也未透露出美國會採取什麼措施應對俄羅斯的軍事介入。不過奧巴馬的警告也凸顯出美國目前的應對手段有限。

The U.S. has started talks with European partners about what steps they could take in response to Russian actions in Ukraine, including the possibility of the U.S. and its European allies boycotting the upcoming Group of Eight meeting in Sochi, according to U.S. officials.

美國官員透露，美國已開始與歐洲盟國協商能採取何種措施應對俄羅斯在烏克蘭的行動，其中包括美國及其盟國可能抵制即將在索契召開的八國集團(Group of Eight)會議。

The U.S. is also considering withholding some trade and commercial benefits which the Russians have been seeking. Russia currently has a team in Washington to discuss deepening trade and commercial ties.

美國也在考慮暫停俄羅斯一直尋求的某些貿易和商業優惠措施。俄羅斯目前正有一個代表團在華盛頓進行旨在加強俄美貿易和商業關係的協商。

The George W. Bush administration didn't move to enact sanctions against Moscow in 2008 after Russian tank columns annexed territories in the Western-leaning former Soviet republic of Georgia.

2008年俄羅斯坦克羣佔領親西方的前蘇聯共和國車臣的領土時，時任美國總統布什( George W. Bush)的政府並未採取措施對俄羅斯進行制裁。

Washington increased financial aid to Georgia in the aftermath and tried to accelerate its membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.

該事件過後，華盛頓增加了對車臣的援助，並努力加快了車臣加入北大西洋公約組織 (North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 簡稱：北約)和歐盟(European Union)的進程。

European officials are in a similar bind. They are seeking to work with Russia on Ukraine even when they appear to be pursuing conflicting objectives. European Council President Herman Van Rompuy spoke with Mr. Putin Friday afternoon and discussed the 'financial and security situation' in Ukraine, the EU said.

歐洲官員們的處境也差不多。歐洲官員們正希望在烏克蘭局勢方面與俄羅斯進行合作，儘管他們看上去卻在謀求相互矛盾的目的。歐盟表示，歐洲委員會(European Council)主席範龍佩(Herman Van Rompuy)週五下午與普京通了電話，雙方討論了烏克蘭的財政和安全局勢。

Still, a growing number of U.S. lawmakers and American allies said this week that Mr. Obama needs to do more to directly challenge Mr. Putin and acknowledge that the Kremlin's leader isn't an American partner.

不過，越來越多的美國議員和美國盟友本週表示，奧巴馬需要採取更多行動來直接與普京叫板，並承認普京不是美國的合作伙伴。

Not doing so, they said, could lead the Kremlin to take even more aggressive steps to try and shape the future in Ukraine. It also could lead Russia to continue challenging U.S. interests in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

這些議員和美國盟友稱，如果不這麼做，可能導致俄羅斯採取更加大膽的舉措來試圖影響烏克蘭的未來，還可能導致俄羅斯繼續挑戰美國在歐洲、中東和亞洲的利益。

'Someone needs to tell [the administration] the restart button is jammed,' said a senior Arab official who's involved in Syria and Iran diplomacy. 'Even on a good day -- without Ukraine, Syria, Georgia, or Iran -- the Russians won't play ball with you.'

一位參與敘利亞和伊朗外交活動的阿拉伯官員表示，需要有人告訴美國政府：“重新啓動”的按鈕已經卡住了。即使在正常情況下，也就是不涉及烏克蘭、敘利亞、車臣或伊朗問題的情況下，俄羅斯也不願提供合作。

Mr. Obama took office in 2009 committing to a restart of relations with Russia after the Bush administration directly challenged Moscow in its own backyard by aggressively supporting NATO and EU membership for a number of former Soviet republics.

奧巴馬2009年上任時承諾將重啓與俄羅斯的關係。在此前的布什政府期間，通過大力支持幾個前蘇聯共和國加入北約和歐盟，美國對俄羅斯予以了正面迎擊。

Senior U.S. officials have defended this approach in recent days. They cite a nuclear arms reduction agreement signed with Russia during Mr. Obama's first term; cooperation in moving military supplies to U.S. forces in Afghanistan; and a joint effort to rid Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of his chemical weapons.

美國政府高級官員近幾天來對奧巴馬重啓與俄羅斯關係的做法進行了辯護。他們提到，奧巴馬首屆任期內與俄羅斯簽署了一項削減核武器的協議；俄羅斯在美軍供應物資運送至阿富汗方面提供了合作；同時俄美還在迫使敘利亞總統阿薩德(Bashar al-Assad)消除化學武器方面進行了合作。

Many U.S. lawmakers and American allies worry, however, that Mr. Putin is using these diplomatic initiatives more as a way to manage the U.S. than to rein in Syria, Iran or North Korea -- all Russian allies.

不過，許多美國議員和美國盟友都擔心，普京更多的是在利用這些外交努力對付美國，而不是控制敘利亞、伊朗或朝鮮－－因爲這些都是俄羅斯的盟友。

Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, launched a diplomatic process in mid-2012 to try and end Syria's civil war a time when many Western governments were predicting Mr. Assad's regime was close to collapse. Since then, Russia and Iran have significantly increased their arms and shipments to Damascus under the cover of the international peace talks that have been taking place in Geneva, according to U.S. and Arab officials.

爲平息敘利亞內戰，美國國務卿克里(John Kerry)與俄羅斯總理拉夫羅夫(Sergei Lavrov)於2012年年中啓動了一輪外界斡旋。當時許多西方國家政府都預計阿薩德政權即將倒臺。自那以後，在日內瓦舉行的國際和平談判的掩護下，俄羅斯和伊朗大幅增加了對敘利亞政府的軍火供應。

Moscow also succeeded in getting Mr. Obama to call off planned airstrikes on Mr. Assad's regime after promising to dismantle Syria's chemical weapons arsenal. That process has slowed in recent weeks, according to U.S. officials, and Mr. Putin used the diplomatic process to strengthen his stature internationally.

此外，在承諾銷燬敘利亞化學武器後，俄羅斯還成功地讓奧巴馬叫停了針對阿薩德政權的空襲計劃。美國官員透露，敘利亞化學武器的銷燬進程近幾周來出現了放緩，而普京這藉助此次外交斡旋強化了他在國際社會上的地位。

'Since the start of the Syrian civil war, Russia has shown it's complicit in these war crimes, but it is also capable of stopping them,' Sen. Tim Kaine (D., Va.) said Thursday, while calling for more pressure on Moscow to cut off support for the Syrian regime.

弗吉尼亞州民主黨議員凱恩(Tim Kaine)週四表示，自敘利亞內戰爆發以來，可以從俄羅斯的所作所爲中看出，該國與這些戰爭罪行脫不了關係，但俄羅斯也有能力制止這些罪行。凱恩同時呼籲加大對俄羅斯的壓力，以便使其切斷對敘利亞政權的支持。

U.S. officials have praised Russia for supporting the international talks currently under way in Vienna aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program. But analysts have said Mr. Putin's involvement is purely aimed at securing Moscow's business interests and preventing the U.S. from launching any military strikes against Iran's nuclear installations.

目前相關各方正在維也納展開旨在控制伊朗核計劃的國際談判，美國官員對於俄羅斯對談判的支持表示了讚賞。但分析人士表示，普京之所以要參與談判，完全是爲了確保俄羅斯的商業利益，並阻止美國對伊朗核設施發動任何軍事打擊。