US Defense Chief Calls for Cautious, Prudent NATO Response to Russia
美国防长促北约对俄罗斯小心谨慎

　　 
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he will urge caution and prudence in NATO's response to Russia's actions in Georgia when he meets with alliance defense ministers in London Friday.

美国国防部长罗伯特·盖茨表示，他这个星期五在伦敦跟北约国家国防部长会面时，将敦促北约对俄罗斯在格鲁吉亚的所作所为作出反应时，持小心谨慎态度。

Secretary Gates says NATO needs a unified response to Russia, and needs to address concerns the Georgia conflict raised in some member countries. But speaking with reporters here Thursday he indicated he does not want the alliance to do anything that would give Russia cause to become even more aggressive.

国防部长盖茨表示，北约需要对俄罗斯采取一致的反应，需要解决格鲁吉亚冲突在某些成员国引起的担忧。不过盖茨星期四在伦敦对记者讲话时指出，他不希望北约盟国的行动成为俄罗斯扩充侵略野心的理由。

"I will suggest we do some prudent things that are consistent with the kinds of activities NATO has been engaged in for nearly 60 years, in terms of planning, in terms of exercises, and so on, that at the same time are not provocative and don't tend to draw any firm red lines or send signals that are unwanted, at the same time that it provides some reassurance to the allies in Eastern Europe and the Baltic States that we're mindful of their concerns," he said.

盖茨说：“我建议我们在制定和执行计划等方面要稳健行事，要符合北约近60年来在各类行动中的一贯风格，同时我们的行动不要具有挑衅性，也不要试图设定任何确切的限制、或者发出任何不必要的信号，另一方面，我们的行动要让东欧盟国和波罗的海沿岸国家放心，让他们感到我们重视它们的忧虑。”

Secretary Gates said NATO must not accept Russia's effort to help Abkhazia and South Ossetia secede from Georgia.

盖茨国防部长说，北约绝不能认同俄罗斯帮助阿布哈兹和南奥塞梯脱离格鲁吉亚的任何努力。

Speaking later on condition of anonymity, another senior U.S. defense official said Friday's NATO meeting - originally called to discuss the familiar topic of modernizing the alliance - may be considerably more substantive because of the situation in Georgia. The official says NATO defense ministers will likely discuss the core issue of whether the alliance can really live up to its mutual defense commitment.

美国国防部另一位不愿透露姓名的高级官员稍后表示，由于格鲁吉亚目前的局势，星期五的北约会议可能会更加务实，而这次会议原先计划讨论如何实现北约现代化之类的老话题。这位官员说，北约各国国防部长有可能讨论北约盟国是否能兑现共同防务承诺这一核心问题。

The United States believes NATO needs a strong, flexible, deployable joint force to respond to potential threats, and the official says many Baltic and East European members agree, particularly after the Russian invasion of Georgia. Georgia is not a NATO member, but alliance leaders have pledged that it will become one, along with Ukraine, although no timeframe has been set. The U.S. official who spoke Thursday says NATO is "not on a trajectory" to develop even the "minimal" modern military capabilities its leaders endorsed at their last summit, and that are needed "to protect the alliance and pursue its interests." The official says that needs to change in order to reach Secretary Gates' goal of reassuring allies whose fears have been sparked by the Georgia situation.

美国认为北约需要一支强大、灵活和调度有方的部队，可以对潜在威胁作出反应，美国国防部这位高级官员还说，许多波罗的海沿岸和东欧成员国都认同美国的观点，尤其在俄罗斯出兵格鲁吉亚之后。格鲁吉亚目前还不是北约成员国，不过北约各国领导人承诺，格鲁吉亚以及乌克兰会成为北约一员，只是他们没有为此设定时间表。这位官员星期四说，北约没有遵行上次峰会上各国领导人所认同的方针，北约“没有踏上轨道”提高部队现代化军事能力，甚至没有做到发展最起码的现代化军事能力，而这些能力是“保护北约，追求其利益所必需的。”这位国防部官员表示，要想实现盖茨国防部长提出的目标，即让那些因格鲁吉亚局势而恐惧的盟国放心，上述现状必须改变。

The official says no one in NATO expects Russia to invade a member state, but says it could take other aggressive steps, such as reducing or cutting energy supplies, trying "political pressure" and even cyber attacks like the recent one on Estonia that is widely blamed on Russia. And the official says in addition to pursuing new and enhanced capabilities, NATO can also respond by intensifying its traditional military training, exercising and planning work.

美国国防部这位不愿透露姓名的高级官员说，北约中没有人预期俄罗斯会入侵其成员国，不过他认为，俄罗斯可能会采取其它挑衅性行动，比如减少或者切断能源供应、试图向北约施加政治压力，甚至向北约发动网络攻击，就象爱沙尼亚最近受到的一次网上袭击那样，外界普遍认为这是俄罗斯发动的。这位官员还说，北约除了获得新的更为强大的军事能力之外，还应该加强其常规军事训练，演习和规划工作。