Indeed, their serene patience stands in stark contrast to the anxious reticence of Russian leaders, who have yet to surmount the humiliation that Russia suffered as a result of the Soviet Union’s disintegration at the end of the Cold War. Russia may be experiencing a global “restoration” phase, but in politics and economics, and also with respect to its empire, restoration is headed in the wrong direction.
的确，他们平静的耐性和俄罗斯领导人焦虑的沉默形成了鲜明的对比。俄罗斯领导人还需要战胜冷战结束时苏联解体留给他们的耻辱。俄罗斯可能正在经历着全面的“复兴”阶段，但在政治和经济、还有帝国版图等问题上，这种复兴都在沿着错误的方向行进。