Vladimir Putin will look back on 2016 as an annus mirabilis. Isolated and straining under the impact of western sanctions 12 months ago, the president has managed to transform Russia’s international fortunes thanks to an extraordinary run of good luck. Brexit, the migration crisis and the current surge of right-wing populism have enfeebled Europe and weakened its resolve to maintain a tough collective stance towards Russia. Putin’s military intervention in support of Bashar al-Assad has put his ally within sight of victory in the Syrian civil war. Best of all, Donald Trump is about to enter the White House on a promise to repair US-Russia relations on the Kremlin’s terms. On every front, the tide of events appears to be flowing strongly in Putin’s direction.
弗拉迪米爾•普丁(Vladimir Putin)將會把2016年視爲奇蹟迭出的一年。得益於一輪不尋常的好運氣，在12個月前尚由於西方制裁的影響而陷於孤立、面臨巨大壓力的俄羅斯總統，成功實現了該國國際運勢的轉向。英國退歐、難民危機以及右翼民粹主義異軍突起，令歐洲孱弱無力，削弱了歐洲維持共同的對俄強硬立場的決心。普丁爲支持巴沙爾•阿薩德(Bashar al-Assad)而進行的軍事幹預，讓他的這位盟友在敘利亞內戰中勝利在望。最棒的是，唐納•川普(Donald Trump)將帶著修復美俄關係的承諾入主白宮，還將按照克里姆林宮的條件這麼做。在各個方面，時勢的潮流似乎都朝著有利於普丁的一邊滾滾湧來。