[영어로 읽는 글로벌 뉴스] 푸틴은 어디까지 가능할까
How Putin Comes to Power
Putin (from 1985 to 1990) served as an officer in the KGB - the main security agency for the Soviet Union from 1954 until its collapse in 1991-, before his entry into politics in 1991. In December 1999, when Yeltsin resigned, Putin became Acting President. Putin won the subsequent 2000 presidential election and was re-elected in 2004. Because of constitutional term limits, Putin was ineligible to run for a third consecutive presidential term in 2008. Dmitry Medvedev won the 2008 presidential election and appointed Putin as Prime Minister. In September 2011, following a change in the law extending the presidential term from four years to six, Putin announced that he would seek a third term as President. Against backdrop of large-scale protests in many Russian cities, Putin won the election in March 2012 and started to serve a six-year term.
Economic Transformation and Creation of National Champions
Under the Putin government from 2001 to 2007, the Russian economy made real gains, growing an average 7 percent per year and becoming the 7th largest economy in the world.
A central concept of Putin’s economic policy was the creation of so-called “national champion” companies. The Putin government concentrated its support on a few large corporations in strategic sectors, which would not only seek profit but also advance the interests of the nation. Examples of such companies include Gazprom, Roseneft, and United Aircraft Corporation.
In the decade following 2000, energy companies in Russia - especially oil and gas energy - helped transform the country. This transformation promoted Russia's well-being and international influence, and the country was frequently described in the media as an energy superpower.
Ukraine and Russia Disputes
Putin has always sought to increase Russia's share of the European energy market by building submerged gas pipelines. However, these pipelines have to bypass Ukraine and other post Soviet countries, which Putin considers as non-reliable transit partners.
Russia and Ukraine disputes trace their roots to numerous gas disputes between Ukrainian oil and gas company Naftohaz Ukrayiny and Russian gas supplier Gazprom over natural gas supplies, prices, and debts.
These disputes have grown beyond simple business disputes into transnational political issues - involving political leaders from several countries. These conflicts also threaten natural gas supplies in numerous European countries. Russia provides approximately a quarter of the natural gas consumed in the European Union; approximately 80% of those exports travel through pipelines across Ukrainian soil prior to arriving in the EU. Europe needs Russian oil but worries about interferences in the affairs of Eastern Europe. For instance, in January 2009 gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine led state-controlled Russian company Gazprom to halt its deliveries of natural gas to Ukraine, which left a number of European states, to have serious shortages of natural gas.
The Crash of Malaysia Airline and Accusations against Putin
Since Malaysia Airlines flight fell from the skies over eastern Ukraine on July 17th, Putin has faced increasingly angry calls to end his support for rebels who are suspected of shooting down the plane. Mr Obama said Putin’s government had gone beyond past support for Pro Russian rebels fighting the central Ukrainian government in Kiev and was now directly participating in the civil war by firing artillery across the border and transporting military equipment.
The latest American sanctions took aim at Russian banks and a large energy companies. They also blocked future technology sales to Russian oil industry. The US measures were carefully orchestrated to match those adopted by EU countries.
Governments on both sides of Atlantic were to show the Putin government the solidarity between the American and European governments. Until now, European leaders have resisted the broad economic sanctions, out of fear that Europe would pay an economic price for confronting the Putin government aggressively. New sanctions which are meant to hit significant part of Russian economy including banks and energy industry.
Former Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudin recently warned that further sanctions would lead to cuts in ordinary Russian’s salaries by up to 20 percent.
In response to growing concerns over the potential for “World War Three”, Mr Obama said no and made clear that he is not considering providing arms to Ukraine government. “They are better armed than the separatists,” he said. “The issue is how we can prevent bloodshed in east Ukraine. We are trying to avoid that. And the main tool that we have to influence Russian behavior at this point is the impact that is having on its economy.”
Would Putin take this opportunity to close the border with Ukraine and cut off the uprising from Russian volunteers and weapons? Would he react defiantly starting a military operation in response to Ukraine troops shelling Russian territory in recent years?
So far, Putin has done neither. For the moment, at least the Russian president appears to be stalling, moving neither toward conciliation nor toward a complete break with the West.
One Stop Summing Up: Vocabs & Expressions
KGB [명사] (구소련의) 국가 보안 위원회 / acting president (법률) 대통령 권한 대행자 / constitutional term limits 헌법적으로 제한하는 / ineligible 부적격의, 자격이 없는 / national champion companies 나라가 경제적 으로 발전하는데 있어 주역이 되는 소수의 회사들 / transformation 탈바꿈(n) / promote 촉진하다(v) / well-being 복지(n) / energy superpower 에너지 산업에 있어서 초강대국 / oversee 감독하다(v) / finance 재원을 대다(v) / supply 공급(n) / debt 빚(n) / transnational political issues 국제 사회에서 다루어져야 할 이슈 / interference 간섭(n) / crash 추락(n) / accusation 비난, 고소(n) / civil war 내전 / artillery 대포(n) / transport
수송하다(v) / sanction 제재(n) / orchestrate 계획하다(v) / make clear 명료하게 밝히다 / better armed 좋은 무기로 무장되어 있는 / bloodshed 유혈사태(n) / close the border 국경을 폐쇄시키다 / defiantly 반항적으로 / shell 폭격하다(v) / stall 멈추다, 시간을 지연시키다(v) / conciliation 화협(n) / complete break 단절
(원제: How Far Will Putin Go)
Putin is recently claimed by Forbes Magazine to be the most powerful person in the world. But what do we know about Vladimir Putin, really? Let’s find out about Putin, especially in relation to the recent crash of Malaysian Airlines flight.How Putin Comes to Power
Putin (from 1985 to 1990) served as an officer in the KGB - the main security agency for the Soviet Union from 1954 until its collapse in 1991-, before his entry into politics in 1991. In December 1999, when Yeltsin resigned, Putin became Acting President. Putin won the subsequent 2000 presidential election and was re-elected in 2004. Because of constitutional term limits, Putin was ineligible to run for a third consecutive presidential term in 2008. Dmitry Medvedev won the 2008 presidential election and appointed Putin as Prime Minister. In September 2011, following a change in the law extending the presidential term from four years to six, Putin announced that he would seek a third term as President. Against backdrop of large-scale protests in many Russian cities, Putin won the election in March 2012 and started to serve a six-year term.
Economic Transformation and Creation of National Champions
Under the Putin government from 2001 to 2007, the Russian economy made real gains, growing an average 7 percent per year and becoming the 7th largest economy in the world.
A central concept of Putin’s economic policy was the creation of so-called “national champion” companies. The Putin government concentrated its support on a few large corporations in strategic sectors, which would not only seek profit but also advance the interests of the nation. Examples of such companies include Gazprom, Roseneft, and United Aircraft Corporation.
In the decade following 2000, energy companies in Russia - especially oil and gas energy - helped transform the country. This transformation promoted Russia's well-being and international influence, and the country was frequently described in the media as an energy superpower.
Ukraine and Russia Disputes
Putin has always sought to increase Russia's share of the European energy market by building submerged gas pipelines. However, these pipelines have to bypass Ukraine and other post Soviet countries, which Putin considers as non-reliable transit partners.
Russia and Ukraine disputes trace their roots to numerous gas disputes between Ukrainian oil and gas company Naftohaz Ukrayiny and Russian gas supplier Gazprom over natural gas supplies, prices, and debts.
These disputes have grown beyond simple business disputes into transnational political issues - involving political leaders from several countries. These conflicts also threaten natural gas supplies in numerous European countries. Russia provides approximately a quarter of the natural gas consumed in the European Union; approximately 80% of those exports travel through pipelines across Ukrainian soil prior to arriving in the EU. Europe needs Russian oil but worries about interferences in the affairs of Eastern Europe. For instance, in January 2009 gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine led state-controlled Russian company Gazprom to halt its deliveries of natural gas to Ukraine, which left a number of European states, to have serious shortages of natural gas.
The Crash of Malaysia Airline and Accusations against Putin
Since Malaysia Airlines flight fell from the skies over eastern Ukraine on July 17th, Putin has faced increasingly angry calls to end his support for rebels who are suspected of shooting down the plane. Mr Obama said Putin’s government had gone beyond past support for Pro Russian rebels fighting the central Ukrainian government in Kiev and was now directly participating in the civil war by firing artillery across the border and transporting military equipment.
The latest American sanctions took aim at Russian banks and a large energy companies. They also blocked future technology sales to Russian oil industry. The US measures were carefully orchestrated to match those adopted by EU countries.
Governments on both sides of Atlantic were to show the Putin government the solidarity between the American and European governments. Until now, European leaders have resisted the broad economic sanctions, out of fear that Europe would pay an economic price for confronting the Putin government aggressively. New sanctions which are meant to hit significant part of Russian economy including banks and energy industry.
Former Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudin recently warned that further sanctions would lead to cuts in ordinary Russian’s salaries by up to 20 percent.
In response to growing concerns over the potential for “World War Three”, Mr Obama said no and made clear that he is not considering providing arms to Ukraine government. “They are better armed than the separatists,” he said. “The issue is how we can prevent bloodshed in east Ukraine. We are trying to avoid that. And the main tool that we have to influence Russian behavior at this point is the impact that is having on its economy.”
Would Putin take this opportunity to close the border with Ukraine and cut off the uprising from Russian volunteers and weapons? Would he react defiantly starting a military operation in response to Ukraine troops shelling Russian territory in recent years?
So far, Putin has done neither. For the moment, at least the Russian president appears to be stalling, moving neither toward conciliation nor toward a complete break with the West.
One Stop Summing Up: Vocabs & Expressions
KGB [명사] (구소련의) 국가 보안 위원회 / acting president (법률) 대통령 권한 대행자 / constitutional term limits 헌법적으로 제한하는 / ineligible 부적격의, 자격이 없는 / national champion companies 나라가 경제적 으로 발전하는데 있어 주역이 되는 소수의 회사들 / transformation 탈바꿈(n) / promote 촉진하다(v) / well-being 복지(n) / energy superpower 에너지 산업에 있어서 초강대국 / oversee 감독하다(v) / finance 재원을 대다(v) / supply 공급(n) / debt 빚(n) / transnational political issues 국제 사회에서 다루어져야 할 이슈 / interference 간섭(n) / crash 추락(n) / accusation 비난, 고소(n) / civil war 내전 / artillery 대포(n) / transport
수송하다(v) / sanction 제재(n) / orchestrate 계획하다(v) / make clear 명료하게 밝히다 / better armed 좋은 무기로 무장되어 있는 / bloodshed 유혈사태(n) / close the border 국경을 폐쇄시키다 / defiantly 반항적으로 / shell 폭격하다(v) / stall 멈추다, 시간을 지연시키다(v) / conciliation 화협(n) / complete break 단절