Truck Convoy Returns to Russia From Ukraine

MOSCOW The huge convoy of Russian trucks that entered war-torn eastern(estul
ucrainian sfasiat de razboi) Ukraine on Friday, sharply escalating tensions (sporind
brusc tensiuni), returned to Russia on Saturday after unloading food and medicine in
the city of Luhansk, and the Russian government quickly declared its satisfaction
with the operation.
Russias decision to send the convoy across the border without an escort by the
International Red Cross or final clearance (acord) from the Ukrainian government in
Kiev had drawn harsh criticism.(a atras o critica aspra) . President Petro O.
Poroshenko of Ukraine called it a flagrant violation of international law. Another
senior Ukrainian official denounced (a denunta, a acuza) it as a direct invasion. And
Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen of NATO, in a statement condemning the
convoys entry, said it coincided with a major escalation (intetire, extindere) in
Russian military involvement in eastern Ukraine.

The convoys swift return suggested that, at least for a moment, the government of
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had scored a public relations victory.(a inscris o
victorie/ a reportat o victorie de rel publice)
Russian television stations, largely controlled by the government, had carried
constant coverage (a transmis constant reportaje despre) of the convoy crossing the
border on Friday, after the Russian Foreign Ministry (minister) declared the
humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine so grave that it could no longer tolerate what
it described as stalling by ( a trage de timp) the Ukrainian government and the
International Committee of the Red Cross, which had agreed to oversee the convoy.
For weeks, Kiev and its allies, including the United States and major European
countries, had raised suspicions about Russias plans to deliver humanitarian aid,
fearing that the trucks could be used to carry weapons and other supplies (provizii) to
pro-Russian militants who seem to be on the verge of defeat (limita, pe punctul de a fi
invinsi) in their fight against the Ukrainian government.
There were also concerns that Russia would use the trucks to slow the Ukrainian
governments military operations in Luhansk, essentially to shield (a proteja, a apara)
rebels as they regrouped and rearmed.
In Ukraines capital, Kiev, a military spokesman,( purtataor de cuvant) Col. Andriy
Lysenko, said the Ukrainian government was also hoping to defuse (a calma,) the
situation, but he accused Russia of using some of the aid trucks to take military
equipment from Ukrainian factories back to Russia. However, he offered no evidence
(dovada) to support his assertion.
The leadership of Ukraine is using all diplomatic and political means
(mijloace) to resolve this crisis and will not allow it to develop further,( mai mult
decat atat) Colonel Lysenko said at a briefing ( intalnire unde se ofera informatii /
instructiuni oamenilor inainte de a se face ceva) for reporters.
While witnesses reported seeing more than 260 trucks in the convoy, Colonel
Lysenko said that Ukrainian officials had counted 184 crossing the border on Friday
and that some of them, having dropped off ( a lasa) their cargo (incarcatura), were
being used to take away equipment from Ukrainian enterprises.
He said, without offering any proof, that the equipment was taken from the Topaz
plant (uzina, fabrica ; masinarie), which makes Kolchuga, a type of radar system, and
from a factory in Luhansk that produces firearms (arma de foc) magazines.
At the briefing in Kiev, the capital, Colonel Lysenko said Russia was continuing to fire
(a trage ) artillery (foc/ trageri de artilerie) and missiles (proiectile, racheta) at
Ukrainian military positions from the Russian side of the border, repeating an
accusation that Ukraine has made consistently in recent weeks. Russia has denied
direct military involvement in the conflict.
By swiftly (repede, iute) returning the trucks to Russia, the Kremlin seemed to seize
(a apuca, a prinde, a infasca) an opportunity to make its detractors (detractor) in Kiev
and the West appear alarmist, and the Foreign Ministry issued (a emite) a statement
(declaratie) saying the goals all along had been strictly humanitarian. We are
satisfied that the Russian humanitarian aid for southeast Ukraine was delivered to
the destination, the Foreign Ministry said. We were guided in this exclusively by the
goal of helping needy civilians.
The statement added that Russia intended to work with the Red Cross to deliver (a
livra) the assistance. The hasty (rapid) unloading (a descaraca) of the trucks also
seemed to confirm that many of them had been nearly empty. Journalists who were
allowed to look inside some trucks had seen that many were only partly filled.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraines inspections ( inspectiile serviciului de
paza a granitei ucrainiene) of an initial group of trucks found that most of them
carried foodstuffs, including buckwheat (hrisca) , rice, sugar and water, and that
some bore (a purta, a duce, a cara) medical supplies (provizii).
The Red Cross said on Friday that fighting in eastern Ukraine made it too dangerous
for the convoy to cross the border and deliver (a furniza) the aid. The Russian Foreign
Ministry issued a statement ( a emite o declaratie) saying that the humanitarian crisis
was worsening and that it could no longer wait.
Military experts say that there is no doubt that Russia could invade Ukraine with
tanks not cargo trucks on extremely short notice (dintr-o clipa in alta) and that the
West could do little about it.
The loud criticism from Kiev and the West, however, seemed to provide (a da, a
furniza) the Kremlin with an easy opportunity to portray its critics as shrill
(zgomotos, galagios) and unreliable (inconstant, pe care nu te poti baza), while
pushing back (a impinge inapoi) on hard-line Russian nationalists (nationalistii rusi
inflexibili) who have criticized Mr. Putin and his government for not doing more to
help pro-Russian militants.
The Obama administration on Friday had also sharply (in mod clar, aspru) criticized
Russias unilateral decision to send the convoy across the border, which it said was
in violation of its previous commitments (angajament, obligatie) and international
law.
Russian military vehicles painted to look like civilian trucks forced their way (au
fortat intrarea) into Ukraine, said a spokeswoman for the National Security Council,
Caitlin Hayden.
In her statement, Ms. Hayden said that only a small number of vehicles were
inspected by Ukrainian customs officials (vamesii ucrainieni) and that there was no
way to know the contents of the entire convoy. The Ukrainian government
complained that its customs agents (agentii vamali) sent to a border crossing to
inspect the trucks had been blocked as Russia sent the convoy through.
The return of the trucks to Russia came as Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany
arrived in Kiev to visit Ukrainian leaders.