Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Bad for both: On the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Bad for both: On the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Russia and Ukraine must end the war and concede (मान लेना, स्वीकार करना) mutual (पारस्परिक, आपसी) concessions (रियायत, छूट)

More than four years into Russia’s invasion (आक्रमण, हमला), Ukraine has found ways to raise the cost (कीमत, मूल्य) of the war for the Kremlin — striking its energy infrastructure (the physical framework of facilities and systems required for the generation, transmission, and distribution of energy) with drones (an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); pilotless aircraft, remote-controlled aircraft) and imposing (थोपना, लागू करना) a drone blockade (नाकेबंदी, घेराबंदी) on Crimea (a peninsula along the northern coast of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe. 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). When the war began in February 2022, Ukraine’s immediate (तत्काल, त्वरित) response (प्रतिक्रिया, जवाब) was to resist (विरोध करना, प्रतिरोध करना) Russia’s battlefield (युद्धभूमि, रणभूमि) advances, while mobilising (assemble, marshal, organize, rally) international support. As the war dragged on (persist, continue, linger, stretch out), Ukraine received advanced (progress, forward movement, headway, push) defensive (protecting, safeguarding, defending, securing) and offensive (आक्रामक, हमला करने वाला) weapons from its western (relating to the West (the US and its European allies); occidental, free world) partners, while Russia was subjected to (के अधीन होना) sweeping (comprehensive, extensive, all-inclusive, broad) sanctions (action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc.; penalty, punishment, embargo, restriction). But this approach did not slow Russia, which reinforced (strengthen, fortify, bolster, toughen) its front lines (the foremost positions of an armed force, closest to the enemy; vanguard, forefront, frontline, combat zone) and captured (occupy, seize, take over, conquer) more Ukrainian territory. Both sides have suffered (experience, undergo, sustain, endure) tens of thousands of casualties (people killed or injured in a war or accident; loss, fatality, victim, dead and wounded). Ukraine’s economy has become heavily dependent on (reliant on, conditional upon, relying on, sustained by) western aid (assistance, support, help, relief). Kyiv (the capital and most populous city of Ukraine; often used as a metonym for the Ukrainian government) has also transformed (alter, change, convert) the way the war is fought by launching (initiate, begin, set in motion, unleash) hundreds of drones each day at Russian troops (soldiers, armed forces, military personnel, fighters) and critical (crucial, vital, essential, all-important) infrastructure. For President Vladimir Putin, who initially sought to shield (protect, safeguard, secure, defend) the Russian public from the consequences (result, outcome, repercussion, ramification) of the war, these attacks are a stark (clear, distinct, sharp, unmitigated) reminder that the war has come home (to become fully realised or felt, especially something previously distant; hit home, become real, become fully realized, become painfully clear, become apparent). Strikes (हमला करना, प्रहार करना) on Russian oil facilities (a physical structure or installation used for the extraction, processing, or storage of petroleum products; refinery, oil plant), described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “long-range (capable of traveling long distances; extensive, long-distance) sanctions”, have knocked out parts of Russia’s refining capacity (the maximum amount of crude oil that a refinery can process into finished products within a given period). Ukraine has also targeted the electricity infrastructure (the basic physical systems and structures needed for a society or operation to function) and fuel logistics (organization, planning, management, administration) of Crimea, the Black Sea (a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia) peninsula (a piece of land almost surrounded by water and connected to the mainland) Russia annexed (seize, take over, occupy, appropriate) in 2014, forcing a state of emergency (a situation of national danger or disaster in which a government suspends normal constitutional procedures in order to regain control).

Mr. Zelenskyy wants to use this offensive pressure (the use of persuasion, force, or influence to compel action; coercion, force, influence, compulsion) to force Mr. Putin to the negotiating table (a setting or forum where formal discussions and compromises take place to resolve a conflict) and secure (obtain, acquire, gain, achieve) a ceasefire (truce, armistice, suspension of hostilities, peace). But drone warfare (combat, fighting, conflict, war) has only slowed Russian advances. Last week, Russia’s Defence Ministry announced the capture of the eastern city of Kostiantynivka and a closing in on Lyman. Russia now controls over 20% of Ukraine since 2014. Russia has repeatedly (frequently, consistently, continually, persistently) accused (charge, indict, blame, hold responsible) NATO countries of enabling Ukraine to strike deep inside (far into the interior of, well within) its territory. Mr. Putin is already under pressure (experiencing stress or demands to act in a particular way; under strain, under duress, under stress, under compulsion) over his inability (incapability, powerlessness, impotence, failure) to secure a decisive (conclusive, absolute, definitive, final) victory, and nationalist (patriotic, chauvinistic, jingoistic, loyalist) voices have urged (advise, encourage, press, entreat) him to widen (expand, broaden, enlarge, extend) the conflict (a serious disagreement or armed struggle; dispute, clash, confrontation, war) to increase pressure on NATO. The situation remains highly volatile (unpredictable, unstable, explosive, tense) with no political settlement (resolution, agreement, pact, deal) in sight (visible, near, close at hand, foreseeable). Ukraine can hurt Russia economically, but it continues to lose ground (retreat, fall back, suffer defeat, lose advantage) on the battlefield. Russia can inflict (cause, impose, deliver, mete out) military losses on Ukraine, but it is also facing attacks on a scale (of a size, extent, or magnitude) unseen (unnoticed, unobserved, hidden, unprecedented) since the Second World War (the global conflict fought between 1939 and 1945 involving most of the world’s nations). Neither side has a viable (feasible, workable, practical, realistic) military path to achieving its objectives (aim, goal, target, purpose). Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelenskyy should adopt (embrace, take on, assume, implement) a more accommodative (willing to adjust or compromise to fit the needs of others; conciliatory, accommodating, flexible, compromising) position with mutual concessions (पारस्परिक रियायतें). They should agree to a ceasefire and be ready to begin substantive (significant, meaningful, substantial, important) negotiations (discussion, talks, parley, consultation) on the outstanding (unresolved, pending, unsettled, ongoing) issues, including the security concerns (worry, anxiety, apprehension, unease) of both countries and the future of NATO.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.concede (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मान लेना, स्वीकार करना
English Meaning - surrender, yield, give up, relinquish.

2.mutual (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पारस्परिक, आपसी
English Meaning - reciprocal, joint, shared, two-sided.

3.impose (verb)

Hindi Meaning - थोपना, लागू करना
English Meaning - force, thrust, inflict, exact.

4.cost (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कीमत, मूल्य
English Meaning - the price paid or resources expended, especially in a conflict; toll, price, expense, burden, loss, damage, toll, penalty.

5.invasion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आक्रमण, हमला
English Meaning - a military attack by one country’s forces entering another country’s territory; incursion, offensive, onslaught, aggression, attack, incursion, assault.

6.mutual concessions (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पारस्परिक रियायतें
English Meaning - compromises made by both sides in a dispute to reach an agreement; give-and-take, reciprocal compromises, trade-offs, accommodations.

7.strike (verb)

Hindi Meaning - हमला करना, प्रहार करना
English Meaning - attack, hit, bombard, assault.

8.concession (noun)

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

9.blockade (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नाकेबंदी, घेराबंदी
English Meaning - the isolation of a place by blocking access, especially militarily; siege, cordon, embargo, barricade, barrier, restriction.

10.immediate (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - तत्काल, त्वरित
English Meaning - instant, prompt, direct, swift

11.response (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिक्रिया, जवाब
English Meaning - reaction, reply, retaliation, countermeasure.

12.resist (verb)

Hindi Meaning - विरोध करना, प्रतिरोध करना
English Meaning - withstand, combat, oppose, confront.

13.battlefield (noun)

Hindi Meaning - युद्धभूमि, रणभूमि
English Meaning - combat zone, war zone, front line, battleground.

14.offensive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - आक्रामक, हमला करने वाला
English Meaning - attacking, aggressive, invading, combative.

15.subject to (verb)

Hindi Meaning - के अधीन होना
English Meaning - put through, treat with, expose to, submit to.

16.advance (noun)

English Meaning - progress, forward movement, headway, push.

17.defensive (adjective)

English Meaning - protecting, safeguarding, defending, securing.

18.find ways (phrase)

English Meaning - discover methods, figure out, contrive, come up with solutions.

19.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).

20.energy infrastructure (noun)

English Meaning - the physical framework of facilities and systems required for the generation, transmission, and distribution of energy.

21.drone (noun)

English Meaning - an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); pilotless aircraft, remote-controlled aircraft.

22.Crimea (noun)

English Meaning - a peninsula along the northern coast of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe. 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.

23.mobilise (verb)

English Meaning - assemble, marshal, organize, rally.

24.drag on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - persist, continue, linger, stretch out.

25.advanced (adjective)

English Meaning - modern, state-of-the-art, sophisticated, cutting-edge.

26.western (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the West (the US and its European allies); occidental, free world.

27.sweeping (adjective)

English Meaning - comprehensive, extensive, all-inclusive, broad.

28.sanctions (noun)

English Meaning - action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc.; penalty, punishment, embargo, restriction.

29.reinforce (verb)

English Meaning - strengthen, fortify, bolster, toughen.

30.front line (noun)

English Meaning - the foremost positions of an armed force, closest to the enemy; vanguard, forefront, frontline, combat zone.

31.capture (verb)

English Meaning - occupy, seize, take over, conquer.

32.suffer (verb)

English Meaning - experience, undergo, sustain, endure.

33.casualty (noun)

English Meaning - people killed or injured in a war or accident; loss, fatality, victim, dead and wounded.

34.dependent on (adjective)

English Meaning - reliant on, conditional upon, relying on, sustained by.

35.aid (noun)

English Meaning - assistance, support, help, relief.

36.Kyiv (proper noun)

English Meaning - the capital and most populous city of Ukraine; often used as a metonym for the Ukrainian government.

37.transform (verb)

English Meaning - alter, change, convert.

38.launch (verb)

English Meaning - initiate, begin, set in motion, unleash.

39.troops (noun)

English Meaning - soldiers, armed forces, military personnel, fighters.

40.critical (adjective)

English Meaning - crucial, vital, essential, all-important.

41.infrastructure (noun)

English Meaning - the basic physical systems and structures needed for a society or operation to function.

42.seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt, strive.

43.shield (verb)

English Meaning - protect, safeguard, secure, defend.

44.consequence (noun)

English Meaning - result, outcome, repercussion, ramification.

45.stark (adjective)

English Meaning - clear, distinct, sharp, unmitigated.

46.come home (phrase)

English Meaning - to become fully realised or felt, especially something previously distant; hit home, become real, become fully realized, become painfully clear, become apparent.

47.oil facility (noun)

English Meaning - a physical structure or installation used for the extraction, processing, or storage of petroleum products; refinery, oil plant.

48.long-range (adjective)

English Meaning - capable of traveling long distances; extensive, long-distance.

49.knock out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - destroy, disable, eliminate, wipe out.

50.refining capacity (noun)

English Meaning - the maximum amount of crude oil that a refinery can process into finished products within a given period.

51.electricity infrastructure (noun)

English Meaning - the network of power plants, transmission lines, and distribution grids that provide electrical power; power grid.

52.logistics (noun)

English Meaning - organization, planning, management, administration.

53.Black Sea (proper noun)

English Meaning - a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia.

54.peninsula (noun)

English Meaning - a piece of land almost surrounded by water and connected to the mainland.

55.annex (verb)

English Meaning - seize, take over, occupy, appropriate.

56.state of emergency (noun)

English Meaning - a situation of national danger or disaster in which a government suspends normal constitutional procedures in order to regain control.

57.pressure (noun)

English Meaning - the use of persuasion, force, or influence to compel action; coercion, force, influence, compulsion.

58.negotiating table (noun)

English Meaning - a setting or forum where formal discussions and compromises take place to resolve a conflict.

59.secure (verb)

English Meaning - obtain, acquire, gain, achieve.

60.ceasefire (noun)

English Meaning - truce, armistice, suspension of hostilities, peace.

61.warfare (noun)

English Meaning - combat, fighting, conflict, war.

62.close in on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - surround, encircle, approach, hem in.

63.repeatedly (adverb)

English Meaning - frequently, consistently, continually, persistently.

64.accuse (verb)

English Meaning - charge, indict, blame, hold responsible.

65.North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (proper noun)

English Meaning - A military alliance of North American and European countries formed in 1949 for collective defence against external threats.

66.enable (verb)

English Meaning - allow, permit, facilitate, empower.

67.deep inside (phrase)

English Meaning - far into the interior of, well within.

68.under pressure (phrase)

English Meaning - experiencing stress or demands to act in a particular way; under strain, under duress, under stress, under compulsion.

69.inability (noun)

English Meaning - incapability, powerlessness, impotence, failure.

70.decisive (adjective)

English Meaning - conclusive, absolute, definitive, final.

71.nationalist (adjective)

English Meaning - patriotic, chauvinistic, jingoistic, loyalist.

72.urge (verb)

English Meaning - advise, encourage, press, entreat.

73.widen (verb)

English Meaning - expand, broaden, enlarge, extend.

74.conflict (noun)

English Meaning - a serious disagreement or armed struggle; dispute, clash, confrontation, war

75.volatile (adjective)

English Meaning - unpredictable, unstable, explosive, tense.

76.settlement (noun)

English Meaning - resolution, agreement, pact, deal.

77.in sight (phrase)

English Meaning - visible, near, close at hand, foreseeable.

78.lose ground (phrase)

English Meaning - retreat, fall back, suffer defeat, lose advantage.

79.inflict (verb)

English Meaning - cause, impose, deliver, mete out.

80.face (verb)

English Meaning - confront, encounter, experience, endure.

81.on a scale (phrase)

English Meaning - of a size, extent, or magnitude.

82.unseen (adjective)

English Meaning - unnoticed, unobserved, hidden, unprecedented.

83.Second World War (proper noun)

English Meaning - the global conflict fought between 1939 and 1945 involving most of the world’s nations.

84.viable (adjective)

English Meaning - feasible, workable, practical, realistic.

85.objective (noun)

English Meaning - aim, goal, target, purpose.

86.adopt (verb)

English Meaning - embrace, take on, assume, implement.

87.accommodative (adjective)

English Meaning - willing to adjust or compromise to fit the needs of others; conciliatory, accommodating, flexible, compromising.

88.substantive (adjective)

English Meaning - significant, meaningful, substantial, important.

89.negotiation (noun)

English Meaning - discussion, talks, parley, consultation.

90.outstanding (adjective)

English Meaning - unresolved, pending, unsettled, ongoing.

91.concern (noun)

English Meaning - worry, anxiety, apprehension, unease.