Putin’s promise to restore national self-respect, shattered by Russia’s bitter loss of superpower status in 1991, is centered around cowing Europe into submissively accepting Russia’s sphere of “privileged interest” in the post-Soviet nations. By increasing oil and gas prices, or limiting supplies, flexing its military muscles in Georgia, or sending ships to Cuba and Venezuela to parade Russia’s power on the world stage, Putin has convinced many people that Russia is back.
普京承诺恢复民族自尊心（随着俄罗斯在1991年怅然失去超级大国地位而破碎）。其核心是胁迫欧洲接受俄罗斯在苏联解体后的国家里的“特权利益”范畴。通过提高石油和天然气的价格，或限制供应，在格鲁吉亚炫耀武力，或派遣军舰出访古巴和委内瑞拉从而在世界舞台上显示实力，普京已经让许多人相信俄罗斯东山再起。