ukraine opinion
Intervention in Ukraine
Divides Moscovites
Vocabulary
| couple | hundred | gather |
| inside | outside | defense |
| offense | ministry | protest |
| military | send/sent | intervention |
| demand | fight | think (2) |
| need | own | protect |
| decide | fate | interest (3) |
| side | join | through |
| though | free (2) | election |
| peace | arrest | divide |
| respond | conflict | really |
| hope | war | between (2) |
| sense (2) | everyone | nonsense |
| duty | back (2) | other/others |
| protect | right (3) | population |
| thing | because | a lot of |
| percent | conflict | especially |
| escalate | important | not necessarily |
| force (2) | at least | show (2) |
| stamina | well done | demonstrate |
| composure | necessary | situation |
| show off | solve | instead |
| calm | remain | opposition |
| silent | after | jail |
| access | profile | forbid/forbade |
| high | low | activist |
Video: Divided Opinion
Transcript
A couple of hundred people gathered outside the Defense Ministry in Moscow to protest against Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.
This woman demands “Don’t send in our children to fight our brothers.”
“I don’t think we need to send in our troops just to protect our own interests. Crimeans have to decide their own fate, and which side they want to join, through free elections.”
About 40 of the peace protesters were arrested.
Russian are divided over how to respond to the conflict.
“I really hope there won’t be a war between Ukraine and Russia, that everyone will take the time to think this through and decide this is nonsense.
Others back Vladimir Putin. He says he has a duty to protect Crimea’s Russian population
“Putin has done the right thing because there are a lot of Russians in Ukraine, especially in Crimea where at around 60 percent of the population is Russian.
If the conflict escalates it’s important for us, not necessarily to use force, but at least to show that we will protect Russians.”
“I say ‘well done Putin’. He’s demonstrated stamina and composure, something that is necessary in this situation. Showing off will not solve the situation. Instead Putin has remained calm. Well done.”
The opposition in Russia has remained largely silent on the issue, after Putin jailed and forbade internet access to high profile activists.
Vocabulary
1. What happened outside the Defense Ministry in Moscow?
2. What did a woman’s sign say? One sign said….
3. What did one protester say? One protester said,
4. What did the police do? Why did they do that?
5. Everyone is opposed to Putin. Nobody agrees with Putin. Everyone is against Putin. True or false?
6. Why is Putin sending troops to Crimea?
7. The man thinks there shouldn’t be any fighting; just a show of force? Is this correct or wrong?
8. How does the woman describe Putin?
9. Putin’s critics have opposed the military intervention. Yes or no?
A. Do people sometimes protest or demonstrate in public? Why do they protest? What are they protesting about?
B. Have you participated in a protest or demonstration? Have you seen a live protest or demonstration?
C. Are protests and demonstrations legal? What do the police do?
D. Should Russian forces occupy Crimea and other parts of Ukraine? Do you agree with Putin?
E. What tactics could the opposition use?
