урегулировать конфликты мирными средствами; вопросы, вызывающие особую озабоченность; поддерживать мир; взять обязательство; разрешение конфликтов; большинство в 2/3; в соответствии с уставом; возобновить.

4.Read the article again and answer the questions using the active vocabulary.

1.When was the UN established and for what purpose?

2.What does the UN Charter set out?

3.Is the UN just a forum for conflict resolution?

4.What are the main organs of the UN?

5.What are the functions of the General Assembly and how does it take its decisions?

6.What responsibilities does the Security Council have?

7.How many members are there in the Security Council?

8.What are some of the instruments the UN uses to preserve peace?

5.Questions for discussion.

1.Do you think the United Nations fulfils its mission today?

2.What recent actions or peacekeeping operations of the UN can you remember? Were they successful?

3.Do you think that the role of the UN is really very important in the modern world? Substantiate your point of view.

4.Do you think that the UN peacekeeping forces could substitute for NATO or EU forces in the future?

II

1. Read the article and look up the underlined words and phrases in the dictionary.

NATO today

Is NATO the right organization to assume the regional security responsibilities in Europe? It is not Europe's only security organization, not even its largest one. One alternative to NATO is Europe's largest collective security group, the 55-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Unlike the OSCE, NATO is an exclusive organization involving about half of Europe's states. The alliance's selective nature inevitably raises questions about its legitimacy. By what right does a group ofminority states enforce order among Europe's majority states? NATO's Bosnia mission was launched on the request of the United Nations' Security Council. But the Kosovo war received no such endorsement. NATO acted on the basis of a vote in the North Atlantic Council, the alliance's own highest decision-making body. NATO's unilateralaction appeared to violate, if not the letter. then the spirit, of the UN Charter.

NATO remains a self-appointed interpreter and enforcer of these rules, and it is willing to enforce them with military might, and as such it inevitably arouses suspicions among some neighbors. Russia's objections to NATO's Kosovo operation focused not as much on the tactical issues as they did on the fact that the alliance launched the air war without a UN Security Council authorization. Even more worrisome to Moscow, nothing theoretically prevents the alliance from launching a similar operation against Russia itself. In polls conducted in April 1999, in the midst of the Kosovo war, 70 per cent to 73 per cent of Russians said they considered the NATO military operation in Yugoslavia a direct threat to Russia's security. Fears that NATO may potentially abuse its military might have translated into tensions and insecurity as countries such as Russia seek to form alliances implicitly aimed against NATO. The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, justified the union between Russia and Belarus as a response to NATO's aggression against Yugoslavia.

2. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases.

To assume security responsibilities; minority; to enforce; legitimacy; majority; endorsement; North Atlantic Council; decision-making body; unilateral; to violate;

might; authorization; to prevent smb from doing smth; a poll; to conduct; to abuse; the letter and spirit; to raise a question.

3. Give English equivalents of the following words and phrases.

Орган, ответственный за принятие решений; меньшинство; злоупотреблять чемлибо; поддержка; взять на себя ответственность за безопасность; большинство; законность; проводить (опрос); односторонний; опрос общественного мнения; нарушать; сила/мощь; дух и буква; поднимать/ставить вопрос; заставлять/ навязывать; Североатлантический совет; одобрение; мешать кому-либо делать чтолибо.

4.Read the article again and complete the following sentences using the active vocabulary.

1.NATO is trying to assume...

2.NATO's nature raises questions about its...

3.A group of states is trying to enforce...

4.The Kosovo war did not receive any endorsement...

5.NATO acted on the basis of a vote in the North Atlantic Council which is...

6.NATO's unilateral action violated ...

7.The alliance is willing to enforce its rules with...

8.The alliance began the air war without...

9.There was worry in Moscow, that theoretically nothing prevents the alliance from...

10.In polls conducted in April 1999, from 70 to 73 per cent of Russians believed...

11.Fears that NATO may abuse...

5.Answer the questions on the article.

1.Is NATO the largest security organization in Europe?

2.What questions does NATO's nature raise?

3.What did a group of states try to enforce among other Europe's states?

4.What body endorsed the Kosovo war?

5.What did NATO unilateral action violate?

6.How is NATO willing to enforce its rules?

7.What was Moscow worry about?

8.What did the polls of 1999 indicate? 9) What are fears of NATO based on?

6.Using the given «package words» express your agreement or disagreement with the following statements.

Agreement: I can't agree more./I agree with you./Yes, it's true.

Disagreement: I'm afraid it's not quite true./I'm sorry, you're mistaken./I don't see eye to eye with you on smth.

1.NATO is Europe's largest security organization.

2.The Kosovo war did not receive the endorsement of the United Nation's Security Council.

3.NATO's unilateral action violated if not the letter, then the spirit, of the UN Charter.

4.NATO keeps away from enforcing its rules with military might.

7.Using the active vocabulary render the article in English.

8.Comment on the following statements.

1.NATO is the right organization to assume the regional security responsibilities in Europe.

2.The alliance's selective nature inevitably raises questions about its legitimacy.

3.NATO is willing to enforce its rules with military might, and as such it inevitably arouses suspicions among some neighbors.

4.Fears that NATO may potentially abuse its military might have translated into tensions and insecurity in Europe.

5.Europe would be better off with a collective security organization instead of NATO.

6.As the enforcer NATO could be causing more damage than good through the methods it uses.