普京要求欧盟与乌克兰重启贸易协定谈判

Vladimir Putin has demanded a reopening of the EU’s recently-ratified trade pact with Ukraine and has threatened “immediate and appropriate retaliatory measures” if Kiev Moves to implement any parts of the deal, according to a letter the Russian president sent to his EU counterpart.

俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔•普京(Vladimir Putin)致函欧盟委员会(European Commission)主席，要求欧盟与乌克兰间最近批准的贸易协定重启谈判，并威胁称，如果乌克兰政府着手执行该项协定的任何内容，俄罗斯就会采取“迅速而适当的报复措施”。

The demand reflects Russia’s determination to put a brake on Ukraine’s integration into Europe and other Euro-Atlantic organisations like Nato, even after annexing Crimea and creating a pro-Russian separatist entity in the east of the country. It comes amid a fresh crackdown on Russian oligarchs, exemplified by the recent house arrest of billionaire businessman Vladimir Yevtushenkov, which was extended by a court yesterday.

这一要求表明，俄罗斯决心阻止乌克兰融入欧洲，或加入欧洲-大西洋机构，如北约(Nato)——即便俄罗斯已经吞并克里米亚，并在乌克兰东部扶植起一个亲俄分裂主义实体。与此同时，俄罗斯对国内寡头发动了新一轮打击，最近对身家亿万的商人弗拉基米尔•叶夫图申科夫(Vladimir Yevtushenkov)的软禁就是一例。昨日法庭下令延长软禁。

The integration treaty was the spark that first set off the 10-month Ukraine crisis after then-president Viktor Yanukovich backed out of the deal at the eleventh hour. Petro Poroshenko, the new president, has made integration with the EU a key objective of his presidency.

欧盟与乌克兰之间的一体化条约是引发这场持续10个月的乌克兰危机的导火索。时任乌克兰总统维克多•亚努科维奇(Viktor Yanukovich)在最后关头退出该协议。新总统彼得罗•波罗申科(Petro Poroshenko)把加入欧盟列为其总统任内的重要目标。

But it is strongly opposed by Moscow, which wants to keep Ukraine within its own economic sphere of influence.

然而，俄罗斯政府强烈反对此举，它希望让乌克兰留在俄罗斯的经济影响圈范围内。

Mr Putin’s letter, delivered last week to European Commission president José Manuel Barroso, argues that a 15-month delay in activating the treaty agreed this month – which Brussels and Kiev regard as a period to reassure the Kremlin that it will not harm Russian ties to Ukraine – should be used to “establish negotiating teams” to make wholesale changes to the deal.

普京的信上周递交给欧盟委员会主席若泽•曼努埃尔•巴罗佐(José Manuel Barroso)。他在信中声称，本月达成的该条约规定其推迟15个月生效（按照欧盟和乌克兰的本意，这一延迟将让克里姆林宫放心，该条约不会损害俄乌关系），这段期间应该被用于“建立谈判团队”，对该协议做出根本改动。