歐盟會議暫停烏克蘭入盟談判

The EU has halted efforts to revive a landmark integration deal with Ukraine, amid growing doubts that any deal can be done with the country’s president Viktor Yanukovich and his current government.

歐盟(EU)已暫停吸收烏克蘭入盟的里程碑式談判。目前各方越來越懷疑能否與烏克蘭總統維克托•亞努科維奇(Viktor Yanukovich)及其政府達成任何協議。

The EU announcement on the suspension of talks came in a tweet from Stefan Füle, enlargement commissioner. Brussels and protesters in Kiev fear Ukraine will now move closer to Russia tomorrow, when senior officials from the two countries are expected to sign a “strategic agreement” to improve trade links – potentially inflaming demonstrators.

歐盟擴大事務專員斯特凡•菲萊(Stefan Füle)在一條Twitter消息中發佈了歐盟暫停談判的聲明。歐盟當局和基輔的抗議者擔心，烏克蘭明天將採取行動與俄羅斯結成更親密的關係，屆時兩國高級官員預計將簽署改善貿易關係的“戰略協議”，此舉有可能激怒示威者。

The developments came on the 25th day of mass protests sparked by Mr Yanukovich’s decision to back away from the EU deal, with both pro- and anti-government demonstrators taking to the streets in rival shows of strength. The anti-government protest yet again drew six-figure crowds, this time estimated at 200,000.

昨日是亞努科維奇決定放棄與歐盟談判，由此引發大規模抗議的第25天，親政府和反政府示威者走上街頭，展示力量。反政府一方再次吸引了6位數的示威者，估計有20萬人。

In a potential setback for the government, the counter-protest organised by Mr Yanukovich’s Regions party was only about one-tenth the size.

相比之下，亞努科維奇的地區黨組織的親政府示威只吸引到約十分之一的人數，潛在可能使政府遭遇挫折。

EU officials insisted yesterday that the door remained open for Ukraine to sign a deal. But privately they expressed frustration that contradictory signals from Mr Yanukovich and his government were making the Kiev leadership almost impossible to deal with.

歐盟官員昨日堅稱，烏克蘭簽署協議的大門依然敞開。但他們私下表示失望，稱亞努科維奇及其政府發出的信號自相矛盾，這使得與烏克蘭政府領導層打交道變得幾乎不可能。

John McCain, US senator, also weighed into the geopolitical tussle between Moscow and the west, addressing the crowds in Independence Square, Kiev.

美國參議員約翰•麥凱恩(John McCain)也投入俄羅斯和西方之間的地緣政治角力，他在基輔獨立廣場向人羣發表演講。

“Your destiny lies in Europe. Ukraine will make Europe better and Europe will make Ukraine better. America stands with you,” Mr McCain said, as demonstrators chanted, “Thank you, thank you.”

“你們的歸宿在歐洲。烏克蘭將令歐洲更美好，歐洲也將令烏克蘭更美好。美國與你們站在一起，”麥凱恩說道。示威者則高呼：“謝謝你，謝謝你。”

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels today are set to discuss ways to unblock talks with Kiev, but an EU diplomat warned that it would be tough to do so soon.

歐盟各國外長今天在布魯塞爾會晤，探討如何消除與烏克蘭談判的障礙，但一位歐盟外交官警告稱，這在短期內很難實現。

Ministers will also meet Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, and are expected to highlight Europe’s frustration with what they see as Moscow’s meddling in the EU-Ukraine talks.

外長們還將會晤俄羅斯外長謝爾蓋•拉夫羅夫(Sergei Lavrov)，預計他們將強調對於在他們看來莫斯科干預歐盟-烏克蘭談判的不滿。