Today, three factors loom large in the avoidance of disaster: the United States’ military presence in Europe, the progress of European integration, and Europe’s abandonment of great-power politics. Yet there is no point in fooling oneself: Only as long as the Balkan countries believe in the European Union and the benefits of membership will today’s precarious peace in the region become permanent.
幸运的是，故态没有复萌，因为西方从历史错误中汲取了教训。如今，三大因素有助于有效地避免灾难：美国在欧洲的驻军、欧洲一体化进程以及欧洲放弃了大国政治。但我们也不能自欺欺人：只有巴尔干国家相信欧盟并因为加入欧盟而获益，今天在该地区如履薄冰的和平才能持久。