Indeed, over the past year, we in Ukraine often have watched in disbelief as Europe struggled to confront so clear an act of aggression. Without the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over rebel-held territory (an act that killed all 298 people aboard), it seems doubtful that the United States and the European Union would ever have agreed on the current program of economic sanctions imposed on Russia.
事实上，在过去一年中，我们乌克兰人常常带着不可思议的表情目睹欧洲如何应对如此明目张胆的请略行为。要不是马来西亚航空17号航班在叛乱地区被击落（造成机上298人死亡），美国和欧盟说不定还不会同意目前对俄罗斯实施的经济制裁。