How Putin, an astute politician, responds to that pressure will determine his political legacy. And the West’s response to Putin’s return to the presidency could have a marked effect on whether he presses for liberalizing reforms and survives, or follows his KGB-honed authoritarian instincts and stokes further protest.
普京这样一位精明的政治家如何应对这种压力将决定他留下什么样的政坛业绩。西方国家对普京重返总统的回应将会对他是否推动自由化改革或他跟随克格勃磨练出的独裁本能和斯托克斯进一步抗议产生显著的影响。