俄羅斯命令烏克蘭預付天然氣款

Russia has ordered Energy-dependent Ukraine to pay in advance for all future natural gas deliveries, as Kyiv's cash-poor government struggles to maintain economic and political stability.
俄羅斯命令能源緊缺的烏克蘭今後要爲輸送到其境內的所有天然氣交付預付款。現金短缺的基輔政府目前正在盡力維持國家的經濟與政治穩定。

The Russian Energy Ministry says Ukraine missed a Wednesday deadline to pay down its $3.5 billion energy debt, and said all gas sent from June 1 will require cash in advance.
俄羅斯能源部表示，烏克蘭錯過了星期三償還35億美元的能源欠款的最後期限，因此，從6月1日起輸送給烏克蘭的所有天然氣都需要預付現金。

It remained unclear late Thursday what impact the pre-payment edict will have on the European Union. Russia supplies about 30 percent of Western Europe's gas needs, with about half of those supplies passing through Ukraine.
現在還不清楚週四晚間宣佈的這關於支付預付款的命令會對歐洲聯盟帶來什麼樣的影響。西歐所需的天然氣中大約30%來自俄羅斯，其中一半要通過烏克蘭境內。

In another development, pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk said they will go ahead with a referendum Sunday on whether to declare independence from Kyiv, despite calls from Russian President Vladimir Putin to postpone the vote.
另一方面，烏克蘭東部頓涅茨克和盧甘斯克地區的親俄分離分子說，他們將按計劃星期天舉行是否脫離烏克蘭的公投，儘管俄羅斯總統普京星期三呼籲推遲投票。

Russian media quoted separatist Denis Pushilin, leader of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic, as saying the referendum will ask residents to vote yes or no on whether they support a "proclamation of state independence."
俄羅斯國家通訊社“俄新社”援引丹尼斯·普希林這名自稱頓涅茨克人民共和國領導人的話說，當地全民公投時，將要求選民明確表明是否支持“頓涅茨克人民共和國國家獨立宣言”。

Luhansk residents will be asked the same question, despite recent polling showing 70 percent of the residents in eastern Ukraine want to remain part of the country.
盧甘斯克的居民將被問到同樣的問題，儘管最近的民調顯示，烏克蘭東部有70%的人願意繼續留在烏克蘭。