| John Kerry, US secretary of state, has long enjoyed a reputation for being an indefatigable diplomat, engaging in shuttle diplomacy over the Iranian nuclear programme and the Middle East peace process. But few of his initiatives have prompted as much surprise as his recent visit to President Vladimir Putin in the Russian resort of Sochi. | | 长期以来美国国务卿约翰?克里(John Kerry)一直作为一个不知疲倦的外交官而闻名，在伊朗核问题和中东和平进程中进行穿梭外交。但他很少有哪次行动像他最近的一次访问那样令人惊讶——他来到了俄罗斯度假胜地索契与俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔?普京(Vladimir Putin)会面。 |
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| Coming at a moment of acute tension in east-west relations over the Kremlin’s aggression in Ukraine, the four hours of meetings between the two have been criticised by some in the US as a sign that the White House is buckling. This would be the wrong judgment to make. The US should maintain its robust stance over Mr Putin’s attempts to destabilise Ukraine, but that should not stop Washington trying to engage directly with him if it can. | 克里的到访正值东西关系因俄罗斯入侵乌克兰而极度紧张的时刻，双方持续4个小时的会晤遭到美国国内一些人的批评，称这是白宫正在让步的迹象。这样的判断是错误的。美国应该对普京破坏乌克兰稳定的企图保持强硬立场，但这并不意味着华盛顿方面应该停止在可能的情况下与普京进行直接接触。 |
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| Eighteen months after the Ukraine crisis erupted, the west must remain on guard over Mr Putin’s intentions towards his neighbour. Although a ceasefire between the Kiev government and Russian-backed rebels was signed in Minsk in February, the guns in eastern Ukraine can still be heard in places. Victoria Nuland, US assistant secretary of state, said last week that Russian forces continue to violate the ceasefire “on a daily basis”. The political elements of the Minsk agreement, including the requirement that Kiev should decentralise powers to the rebel-held regions, and that Russia and its proxies return control of the international border to Ukraine, are yet to be implemented. But the current lull in fighting has created an opportunity for diplomatic dialogue that the US should exploit. | 乌克兰危机爆发18个月以后，西方应该继续防范普京对邻国的意图。尽管基辅政府和俄罗斯支持的反叛分子2月在明斯克签署了停火协议，乌克兰东部还有一些地方可以听见枪声。美国助理国务卿维多利亚?努兰德(Victoria Nuland)上周表示，俄罗斯军队依旧“每天”违反停火协议。明斯克协议的政治要素还没有得到实施，包括基辅向反叛军占领地区下放权力，以及俄罗斯和其代理人将国际边界的控制权返还给乌克兰。但目前战斗暂时平息，为外交对话创造了一个机会，而美国应该加以利用。 |
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| One reason why Mr Kerry was right to meet the Kremlin leader is that American contact with Mr Putin is limited, yet he is the only person whose voice counts inside the Russian government. Much of US-Russia diplomacy over Ukraine has involved Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister. While he is a seasoned diplomat, he appears to have little political weight. If the Obama administration wants to deliver tough messages to Mr Putin it needs to meet the paramount decision maker. | 克里与普京会面的举动是正确的，理由之一就是美国与普京的接触有限，而普京又是俄罗斯政府中唯一一个说话有分量的人。在乌克兰问题上，大部分美俄外交都会涉及俄罗斯外长谢尔盖?拉夫罗夫(Sergei Lavrov)。尽管拉夫罗夫是一名老练的外交官，但他似乎没有什么政治影响力。如果奥巴马政府想要将强硬的信息传达给普京，就需要与这位最高决策者会面。 |
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| Deeper engagement with Russia is worth pursuing if it integrates the US better into the western diplomatic effort on Ukraine. German chancellor Angela Merkel, and France’s Fran?ois Hollande, have been the main interlocutors with Mr Putin. | 如果与俄罗斯进行更深层接触能够让美国更好地参与西方在乌克兰事务上的外交努力，那这样做就是值得的。德国总理安格拉?默克尔(Angela Merkel)和法国总统弗朗索瓦?奥朗德(Francois Hollande)是与普京进行对话的主要人物。 |
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| The US, though more hawkish than the Europeans, has largely subcontracted the diplomatic heavy lifting. But Mr Putin is unlikely to be prepared to engage in talks on a final settlement of the Ukraine crisis unless President Barack Obama is part of the conversation. Grave as it is, the crisis should not stop Washington and Moscow from keeping lines open on other issues. Co-operation over a deal on the Iranian nuclear programme remains firm. But the renewed possibility that the Assad regime in Syria might fall must be addressed by both powers. Russia is fiercely loyal to its ally in Damascus but the US would be justified in pressing Mr Putin harder on what he wants to see happen if the Assads are toppled by Islamist militants. | 美国尽管比欧洲更为鹰派，却基本上把外交重任委托他人。然而，除非美国总统巴拉克?奥巴马(Barack Obama)成为对话的一分子，普京不可能准备好参与乌克兰危机最终解决方案的谈判。尽管这场危机非常严峻，华盛顿和莫斯科也不应因此断绝双方在其他问题上的沟通渠道。双方就伊朗核计划达成协议的合作依然坚定。但叙利亚阿萨德(Assad)政权倾覆的新的可能性必须要靠美俄两国来应对。俄罗斯对其在大马士革的盟友非常忠诚，但如果阿萨德政府被伊斯兰激进武装分子推翻，美国就普京想看到的情景向他施加更大压力将是正当的。 |
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| Mr Kerry’s meeting with Mr Putin was portrayed by Russian state media as a climbdown. But deeper engagement does not imply a change in policy. The US and EU should remain in lockstep and maintain economic sanctions on Moscow until the Minsk agreement is fully implemented. Any renewed aggression by the Kremlin should meet a firm response through even tougher western sanctions. Still, given the dangerous state of east-west relations, the principal decision makers ought to communicate more with each other. Talking does not mean surrender. | 克里与普京的会面被俄罗斯官方媒体形容为美国的退让。但更深层接触并不意味着政策的改变。美国和欧盟(EU)应该保持同步，继续对俄罗斯进行经济制裁直至明斯克协议得到完全实施。西方对克里姆林宫任何新的侵略举动都应通过更强硬的制裁予以坚定回应。不过，考虑到东西关系的危险现状，主要决策者应该更多相互沟通。对话不等于投降。 |
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Post By：2015/5/27 9:11:46
