Likewise, sanctions have helped bring Iran to the bargaining table, though it is not clear how long its government will be willing to defer its nuclear ambitions. And the Russian economy today is in big trouble, though this might be described as a lucky punch, with the real damage being done by an epic collapse in global oil prices.
但有时制裁确实管用。20世纪80年代所形成的对南非实施制裁的强大国际共识最终帮助结束了种族隔离。类似地，制裁还让伊朗重回谈判桌，尽管伊朗政府愿意将其核野心延缓多久还不得而知。而如今，俄罗斯经济也陷入了巨大的麻烦——虽然这也许只是天上掉下来的馅饼，真正的伤害是全球油价大崩盘带来的。