Imagine you are a western European policymaker in Paris, Berlin or Rome. You’re horrified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Contrary to what many eastern Europeans suspect, you aren’t naive about Vladimir Putin: after all these years, you know what he’s about and you hope he doesn’t win. You inwardly cheer every Ukrainian flag hanging from an apartment window. You’re proud your country is helping take in the few Ukrainian refugees who get beyond eastern Europe. You deplore the war.
想象一下,你是身处巴黎、柏林或罗马的西欧政策制定者。你对俄罗斯入侵乌克兰感到震惊。与许多东欧人的猜测相反,你对弗拉基米尔•普京(Vladimir Putin)并不天真:这么多年过去了,你知道他是什么人,你希望他不要获胜。你内心为悬挂在公寓窗户上的每一面乌克兰国旗欢呼。你们为你们的国家帮助收容少数逃离东欧的乌克兰难民而感到自豪。你谴责战争。