But no amount of posturing can offset the disintegration of the economy’s material base caused by the new equilibrium in the oil market. In this sense, the US has come to Europe’s rescue in a different way: Its production of shale oil and gas is likely to play a greater role in keeping Russia at bay than NATO troops on Europe’s eastern borders.
诚然，俄罗斯将继续挑战欧洲。但故作姿态终究无法抵消石油市场信均衡所导致的经济物质基础的崩溃。从这个角度讲，美国以不一样的方式拯救了欧洲：其页岩油气生产实力也许可以比欧洲东部边界的北约军队更能制衡俄罗斯。