THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-January 2, 2017- Topic 2
Obama’s parting shot at Russia
President Barack Obama’s decision to slap more sanctions
on Russia and sack 35 diplomats from the U.S. is the latest
flashpoint in the bilateral relations of the former Cold War foes.
Though the immediate trigger for Mr. Obama’s action are the cyberattacks on Democratic Party systems, which U.S. intelligence agencies believe were carried out by Russians to influence the results of the presidential election, the action must be seen against the deteriorating relationship between the two countries. Ironically, Russia-U.S. relations have hit the lowest point since the collapse of the Soviet Union under a president who had promised a “reset” of ties. At home Mr. Obama faces criticism for not acting decisively against Russian interventions that go against American interests. The sanctions the U.S. and its European allies have imposed on Russia after it annexed Crimea had little impact on Moscow’s foreign policy decisions. In Syria, Russia made a military intervention to boost the regime of Bashar al-Assad against armed rebels who had U.S. support. Mr. Obama remained largely a spectator when Russia reshaped the Syrian conflict, first through a brutal military campaign and then through multilateral diplomacy. Ties plunged to a new low with the allegations of hacking into the Democratic Party systems. By taking the toughest actions yet against Russia in his final weeks in office, Mr. Obama may be trying to mute criticism of his Russia policy.
Though the immediate trigger for Mr. Obama’s action are the cyberattacks on Democratic Party systems, which U.S. intelligence agencies believe were carried out by Russians to influence the results of the presidential election, the action must be seen against the deteriorating relationship between the two countries. Ironically, Russia-U.S. relations have hit the lowest point since the collapse of the Soviet Union under a president who had promised a “reset” of ties. At home Mr. Obama faces criticism for not acting decisively against Russian interventions that go against American interests. The sanctions the U.S. and its European allies have imposed on Russia after it annexed Crimea had little impact on Moscow’s foreign policy decisions. In Syria, Russia made a military intervention to boost the regime of Bashar al-Assad against armed rebels who had U.S. support. Mr. Obama remained largely a spectator when Russia reshaped the Syrian conflict, first through a brutal military campaign and then through multilateral diplomacy. Ties plunged to a new low with the allegations of hacking into the Democratic Party systems. By taking the toughest actions yet against Russia in his final weeks in office, Mr. Obama may be trying to mute criticism of his Russia policy.
But Mr. Obama’s policy will have
long-term implications for U.S.-Russia ties. The rising tensions have reignited
fears of a new Cold War. Though today’s Russia doesn’t have the economic
resources of the Soviet Union, its actions in Syria and Ukraine show that
Moscow is not afraid of upping the ante in a “unipolar” world. Second, Mr.
Obama is further complicating matters of foreign policy for his successor.
Given that President-elect Donald Trump had promised during the campaign to
have better relations with Russia and closer coordination in the fight against
the Islamic State, Mr. Obama’s last-minute intervention is being interpreted as
an attempt to tie Mr. Trump’s hands. The Washington establishment is also happy
with the President’s decisions. For now, Mr. Putin has deftly avoided a
tit-for-tat response, saying that Moscow will assess the policies of the next
administration. The question is, what will Mr. Trump do? If he goes completely
against the Obama administration’s policies, he will upset the establishment,
including leaders from his own party. If he doesn’t, he will fail on his
promise of reshaping ties with Russia and potentially raise tensions further.
Either way, Russia is back as a top challenge on the U.S. foreign policy
landscape.
Vocabulary
Flashpoint: a place, event, or time at which trouble, such as violence or anger, flares
up.
Example: The flashpoint of the conflagration is just blocks away
Foe: an enemy or opponent.
Example: Join forces against the common foe
Synonyms: enemy, adversary, opponent, rival, antagonist, combatant, challenger
Deteriorate: become progressively worse.
Example: Relations between the countries had deteriorated sharply
Synonyms: worsen, decline, degenerate, fail, slump, slip, go
downhill, wane
Ironic: using or characterized by irony.
Example: His mouth curved into an ironic smile
Synonyms: sarcastic, sardonic, cynical, mocking, satirical
Decisive: settling an issue; producing a definite result.
Example: The Supreme Court voided the statute by a decisive 7–2 vote
Synonyms: deciding, conclusive, determining, key, pivotal, critical, crucial
Annexed: append or add as an extra or subordinate part, especially
to a document.
Example: The first ten amendments were annexed to the Constitution in 1791
Plung: jump or dive quickly and energetically.
Example: Our daughters whooped as they plunged into the sea
Synonyms: dive, jump, throw oneself, launch oneself
Reignite: ignite or cause to ignite again.
Example: Oven burners automatically reignite if blown out
Interpret: explain the meaning of information, words, or actions.
Example: The evidence is difficult to interpret
Synonyms: explain, elucidate, expound, explicate, clarify, illuminate, shed
light on
Tit-for-tat: the infliction of an injury or
insult in return for one that one has suffered.
Example: The
conflict staggered on with tit-for-tat assassinations.
Synonyms: retaliation, reprisal, counterattack,comeback