Perhaps US Vice President Joe Biden summed up Russia’s predicament best: “The reality is, the Russians are where they are, having a shrinking population base, a withering economy, and a banking structure that is unlikely to withstand the next 15 years. The world’s changing before them and they’re clinging to something in the past that’s not sustainable.”
或许美国副总统拜登对俄罗斯的困境进行了最佳的总结：“现实是，俄罗斯人还在原地踏步。人口基数日渐缩小，经济不断萎缩，银行体系也很可能撑不过未来的十五年。世界日新月异，而他们却仍然固守着不可持续的过去。”只要表面繁荣仍在，俄罗斯人就会继续紧拥着普京的权力幻影。