But, though this approach could weaken Putin’s legitimacy by limiting his ability to deliver economic prosperity, it could also result in an anti-Western nationalist backlash. Moreover, as Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov has shown, sanctions can be presented as a blessing, forcing the Kremlin to diversify Russia’s commodities-based economy.
不进行这样的反省，美国及其欧洲梦游就有可能继续得依靠经济制裁威慑俄罗斯的侵略。但是，尽管这一方针能够限制普京带来经济繁荣的能力，从而削弱他的合法性，但也会导致反西方民族主义的反弹。此外，正如副总理舒瓦洛夫（Igor Shuvalov）所言，制裁或许是件好事，破事克里姆林宫实现俄罗斯基于大宗商品的经济的多样化。