Rocky summit: when Trump met Putin
Donald Trump did enough, and more, to mess up his meeting with Vladimir Putin
A summit between the leaders of the world’s strongest(सबसे मजबूत) nuclear powers, which fought(लड़ना/लड़ी) the Cold War for decades(दशकों), is an opportunity(अवसर/सुविधा) to discuss areas of shared interest, find ways to dial down mutual tensions and work together to address global issues. But well before Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin sat down for their first formal summit meeting, in Helsinki, there were concerns(चिंताओं/मामला) that it would be overshadowed(छाया डालना/रक्षा देना) by allegations(आरोपों) of Russian interference(दखल अंदाजी/हस्तक्षेप) in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The uproar in Washington over Mr. Trump’s remarks(टिप्पणियों) on the Russian meddling scandal(घोटाला/कांड) — with even accusations of treason — and his subsequent U-turn suggest that such concerns were valid. Mr. Trump could have certainly(निश्चित रूप से/निस्संदेह) managed the summit better by addressing genuine(वास्तविक ) concerns(चिंताओं/मामला) in the U.S. over allegations of Russia’s election meddling. Days earlier, the U.S. Justice Department indicted(दोषी पाया/अभियोग लगाना) 12 Russian intelligence(बुद्धिमत्ता/सूचना) officials for hacking and leaking emails of top Democrats(प्रजातंत्रवादी). It therefore seemed surreal(असली) when the President accepted(स्वीकार किया/मान्य) the Russian version over that of his own intelligence agencies and the Justice Department. Away from the controversy, the closed-door meeting between the leaders can be evaluated(आंकना/मूल्यांकन करना) only on the progress made on a number of contentious(विवाद-ग्रस्त) issues before both.
The new Strategic(सामरिक/महत्वपूर्ण) Arms Reduction Treaty (START) is set to expire in 2021 and Russia has shown interest in extending(विस्तार/बढ़ाव) it. For a consensus(आम सहमति/मेल) ,, high-level talks between the U.S. and Russia are needed. From the crisis(संकट) in Ukraine to the civil war in Syria, Russia-U.S. cooperation is vital(महत्वपूर्ण/जीवनाधार) to finding lasting solutions. The Iran nuclear deal, for which Mr. Putin and Barack Obama worked together despite(बावजूद/विरोध से) differences(अंतर /मतभेद), is in a shambles(गड़बड़/झटके). Most of these issues, including the threat(धमकी/आशंका) posed by nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, were discussed at the summit. But it’s not clear whether the talks will lead to any significant change in policies. Since the Ukraine crisis( संकट ), the West has tried different methods, including sanctions and pressure tactics, to isolate Russia and change its behaviour. But those methods(तरीकों/विधि) have proved largely unsuccessful as Russia is now a far more ambitious(महत्त्वाकांक्षी/लालसी) foreign policy power with an enhanced(बढ़ाया/ज़्यादा किया हुआ) presence(उपस्थिति) in Eastern Europe and West Asia — even if its sanctions-hit economy is struggling(संघर्ष करना). Instead(बजाय/बदले में) of continuing a policy that has failed and ratcheted up global tensions, the Western alliance should junk its Cold War mentality(मानसिकता/मनोवृत्ति) and engage(संलग्न/काम में लगाना) with Russia; Russia, in turn, will have to shed its rogue(दुष्ट/कपटी मनुष्य) attitude(रवैया/मनोभाव) and be more open and stable(मज़बूत/दृढ़/स्थिर) in its dealings(लेन-देन/व्यवहार)।. The stakes(दाँव लगाना/जोखिम लेना) are high and the bitterness(अप्रसन्नता/कड़ुवापन) of the past should not hinder U.S.-Russia relations. That should have been the message from Helsinki.
Important Vocabulary
1.Fought(लड़ना/लड़ी)
Synonyms: attack, battle, challenge, clash, meet, protect
Antonyms: agree, give in, make peace, surrender, yield
2.Interference(दखल अंदाजी/हस्तक्षेप)
Synonyms: conflict, intervention, intrusion, obstruction, tampering
Antonyms: encouragement, aid, assistance, help
3.Scandal(घोटाला/कांड)
Synonyms: crime, rumor, wrongdoing, aspersion, calumny
Antonyms: good deed, approval, commendation, compliment, esteem
4.Contentious(विवाद-ग्रस्त
Synonyms: antagonistic, combative, testy, argumentative, belligerent
Antonyms: agreeable
5.Consensus(आम सहमति/मेल)
Synonyms: accord, consent, harmony, unanimity, unity
Antonyms: denial, disagreement, dissension, opposition, refusal
6.Overshadowed(छाया डालना/रक्षा देना
Synonyms: dim, dominate, dwarf, eclipse, outweigh
Antonyms: clear, explain, brighten, fail, lighten
7. Ehambles (गड़बड़/झटके).
Synonyms: disarray, anarchy, babel, bedlam, botch
Antonyms: calm, harmony, method, order, organization
8.Enhanced(बढ़ाया/ज़्यादा किया हुआ)
Synonyms: add to, appreciate, augment, boost, build up
Antonyms: decrease, diminish, discourage, hurt, lessen
9.Engage(संलग्न/काम में लगाना
Synonyms: employ, enlist, appoint, bespeak, book
Antonyms: shun, cancel, dismiss, fire, free
10.Stakes(दाँव लगाना/जोखिम लेना)
Synonyms: dowager queen, merry widow, war widow
