Hindi English Translation || Editorial || A chance for peace: On Russia-Ukraine talks

A chance for peace: On Russia-Ukraine talks

Putin should pause (रोकना, ठहराव, बंद करना) the war and start talks (बातचीत, वार्ता, चर्चा) on Zelensky’s compromise (समझौता करना) proposals (प्रस्ताव, विचार, योजना)

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a Churchill-like speech at the British Parliament on Tuesday, vowing (क़सम खाना, शपथ लेना, प्रतिज्ञा करना) to fight to the end “in forests, fields and streets”. But hours before his speech, through video-conferencing, he sent the clearest signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin — in an interview — that he was ready to compromise on the most sensitive issues such as Ukraine’s bid to join NATO, and the status of Russian-controlled Crimea (a peninsula along the northern coast of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe. The peninsula is almost entirely surrounded by both the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The status of Crimea is disputed. It is claimed by Ukraine and in 2014 was recognized as Ukrainian by the United Nations and most other countries, but it is governed by Russia. Russia formally annexed Crimea on 18 March 2014) and the breakaway (separatist, secessionist, dissenting, splinter (group/party)) Donetsk and Luhansk republics (गणतंत्र, गणराज्य, लोकतन्त्र). He also called for “a collective security (सामूहिक सुरक्षा) agreement” that would include Russia, the U.S. and Western European countries as part of a lasting (enduring, long-lasting, long-term, permanent) solution. What makes his apparent (स्पष्ट, दिखाई देने वाला) concessions (रियायत, छूट) important is that he announced them a day after the Kremlin (The name “Kremlin” means “fortress inside a city”, and is often also used metonymically to refer to the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation in a similar sense to how “White House” refers to the Executive Office of the President of the United States; Kremlin is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow city. (Metonym is used as an alternative for something else with which it is closely related/associated)) laid out (बाहर रखना, रूपरेखा, ढाँचा) three conditions to stop what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine: It wants Kyiv to accept Crimea as a Russian territory (क्षेत्र, भूमि, राज्य), recognise (पहचानना, स्वीकार करें) Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics and amend (संशोधन करना, बदलना, योग्य बनाना) the country’s Constitution to drop (omit, leave, exclude, discard, leave out) attempts to join any bloc (alliance, association, group, union) (NATO) and reinstate (bring back, restore, return to power/position) its neutrality (non-alignment, non-participation, non-involvement). While Mr. Zelensky stopped short of offering recognition ((formal) acknowledgement, acceptance, admission (of a statehood)) to the breakaway regions, his offer for compromise (make a deal, settle a dispute (through mutual adjustment)) and dialogue (discussion, talks, parleying, deliberation) opened a path towards a political settlement (agreement, treaty, accord, deal). The Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement on Wednesday that its goals would be better achieved through talks also signals hope for a de-escalation (reduction, lessening, decrease (the intensity of something)).

In the last two weeks, Mr. Zelensky has emerged as the face (a person of a particular type) of the Ukrainian resistance (opposition, fight, battle, stand, struggle, confrontation, defiance). But he is also in a difficult situation. The Russian advances (progress, headway, moving forward, forward movement; breakthrough, development, improvement, step forward) are slow given (considering, taking into account, bearing in mind) Russia’s relative (reasonable, a fair degree of, considerable) power, but in the last 13 days, Ukraine has lost sizeable (substantial, considerable, significant, fairly large) territories, from its northern border with Belarus to its southwestern Black Sea coast. Russia has not taken any major Ukrainian city except Kherson in the south, but most cities, including Kharkiv in the north and Mariupol in the southeast, are being encircled. Kyiv, the capital city, is being enveloped (surround, encircle, enclose) from the east and west. Mr. Zelensky has repeatedly (frequently, often, again and again) asked for (request, demand, appeal to, see) military help from NATO. But his request for a no-fly zone (a territory or area established by a military power over which certain aircraft are not permitted to fly, especially during a conflict) was shot down. Even the Polish offer to send its fleet (a number of vehicles/flights/ships working together (under a single ownership)) of MiG-29 jet fighters was dismissed by the U.S., which does not want any kind of military involvement in the conflict. So, the practical solution before Mr. Zelensky is to take advantage of (make use of, utilize, put to use, use) Ukraine’s initial resistance and seek (try, aim, attempt (to obtain); ask for, request, appeal for) a solution through talks. Against this backdrop (situation, scenario, context), his comment about Ukraine dropping its NATO bid (attempt, effort, endeavour/try) is a welcome step. But the question is whether Mr. Putin would take this and be ready for de-escalation. If Russia had expected a quick collapse (breakdown, failure, disintegration, cave-in, surrender, giving way) of the Ukrainian government, it has been proved wrong. Nearly a fortnight (a period of two weeks/fourteen days continuously) of conflict has taken a huge toll (adverse effects, undesirable consequences, detriment, harm, damage) on Russia’s economy. Its ties (bond, connection, association, relationship) with Europe have been set back by decades (a period of ten years). Continuing this war endlessly does not serve anybody’s interest (common concerns (in politics/business)). If Mr. Putin’s primary concern is Russia’s security interests, he should pause the operation and start serious dialogue with the Ukrainians on Mr. Zelensky’s proposals.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.chance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मौका, अवसर, संभावना
English Meaning - opportunity, possibility, prospect.

2.talks (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बातचीत, वार्ता, चर्चा
English Meaning - negotiations, discussions; mediation, arbitration.

3.pause (verb)

Hindi Meaning - रोकना, ठहराव, बंद करना
English Meaning - (temporarily/briefly) stop, cease, halt, discontinue.

4.compromise (noun as modifier)

Hindi Meaning - समझौता करना
English Meaning - agreement, understanding, settlement,

5.proposal (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्ताव, विचार, योजना
English Meaning - plan, suggestion, recommendation.

6.vow (verb)

Hindi Meaning - क़सम खाना, शपथ लेना, प्रतिज्ञा करना
English Meaning - swear, pledge, promise, undertake.

7.North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उत्तर अटलांटिक संधि संगठन
English Meaning - NATO was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.

8.republic (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गणतंत्र, गणराज्य, लोकतन्त्र
English Meaning - a group of people involved in a particular activity with certain equality; “The Republic” is a form of government in which a state (country) is ruled by elected representatives of the people (citizen body).

9.collective security (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सामूहिक सुरक्षा
English Meaning - a security arrangement, political, regional, or global, in which each state in the system accepts that the security of one is the concern of all, and therefore commits to a collective response to threats to, and breaches of peace.

10.apparent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्पष्ट, दिखाई देने वाला
English Meaning - obvious, visible, flagrant, blatant.

11.concession (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रियायत, छूट
English Meaning - compromise, adjustment.

12.lay out (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - बाहर रखना, रूपरेखा, ढाँचा
English Meaning - outline, frame, draft, draw up, formulate.

13.territory (noun)

Hindi Meaning - क्षेत्र, भूमि, राज्य
English Meaning - area, region.

14.recognise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पहचानना, स्वीकार करें
English Meaning - acknowledge, accept, admit (a statehood formally).

15.amend (verb)

Hindi Meaning - संशोधन करना, बदलना, योग्य बनाना
English Meaning - revise, alter, change, qualify.

16.compromise (verb)

English Meaning - make a deal, settle a dispute (through mutual adjustment).

17.bid (noun)

English Meaning - attempt, effort, endeavour/try.

18.Crimea (noun)

English Meaning - a peninsula along the northern coast of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe. The peninsula is almost entirely surrounded by both the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The status of Crimea is disputed. It is claimed by Ukraine and in 2014 was recognized as Ukrainian by the United Nations and most other countries, but it is governed by Russia. Russia formally annexed Crimea on 18 March 2014.

19.breakaway (noun as modifier)

English Meaning - separatist, secessionist, dissenting, splinter (group/party).

20.Donbas region (noun)

English Meaning - a historical, cultural, and economic region in south-eastern Ukraine, some of whose territory (Donetsk and Luhansk) is occupied by two separatist groups in the course of the Russo-Ukrainian War. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has recognized the independence of these two separatist regions in Ukraine.

21.call for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - require, request, ask for, necessitate, make necessary, demand.

22.collective (adjective)

English Meaning - combined, united/joint, cooperative (by all people as a group).

23.lasting (adjective)

English Meaning - enduring, long-lasting, long-term, permanent.

24.Kremlin (noun)

English Meaning - The name “Kremlin” means “fortress inside a city”, and is often also used metonymically to refer to the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation in a similar sense to how “White House” refers to the Executive Office of the President of the United States; Kremlin is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow city. (Metonym is used as an alternative for something else with which it is closely related/associated).

25.kyiv (proper noun)

English Meaning - Capital of Ukraine.

26.drop (verb)

English Meaning - omit, leave, exclude, discard, leave out.

27.bloc (noun)

English Meaning - alliance, association, group, union.

28.reinstate (verb)

English Meaning - bring back, restore, return to power/position.

29.neutrality (noun)

English Meaning - non-alignment, non-participation, non-involvement.

30.stop short of (phrase)

English Meaning - shy away from, shrink from, draw back from.

31.recognition (noun)

English Meaning - (formal) acknowledgement, acceptance, admission (of a statehood).

32.dialogue (noun)

English Meaning - discussion, talks, parleying, deliberation.

33.settlement (noun)

English Meaning - agreement, treaty, accord, deal.

34.de-escalation (noun)

English Meaning - reduction, lessening, decrease (the intensity of something).

35.face (noun)

English Meaning - a person of a particular type.

36.resistance (noun)

English Meaning - opposition, fight, battle, stand, struggle, confrontation, defiance.

37.advances (noun)

English Meaning - progress, headway, moving forward, forward movement; breakthrough, development, improvement, step forward.

38.given (preposition)

English Meaning - considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.

39.relative (adjective)

English Meaning - reasonable, a fair degree of, considerable.

40.sizeable (adjective)

English Meaning - substantial, considerable, significant, fairly large.

41.envelop (verb)

English Meaning - surround, encircle, enclose.

42.repeatedly (adverb)

English Meaning - frequently, often, again and again.

43.ask for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - request, demand, appeal to, see.

44.no-fly zone (NFZ) (noun)

English Meaning - a territory or area established by a military power over which certain aircraft are not permitted to fly, especially during a conflict.

45.shoot down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - dismiss, reject, disregard, deny.

46.fleet (noun)

English Meaning - a number of vehicles/flights/ships working together (under a single ownership).

47.take advantage of (phrase)

English Meaning - make use of, utilize, put to use, use.

48.seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt (to obtain); ask for, request, appeal for.

49.backdrop (noun)

English Meaning - situation, scenario, context.

50.collapse (noun)

English Meaning - breakdown, failure, disintegration, cave-in, surrender, giving way.