最后，如果美国后退一步，欧盟、联合国甚至中国就可以提醒俄罗斯悍然违反国际法、吞并贫穷倔强领土的后果 — — 这片领土远比被操纵的公投结果所表现的的更加难以消化。
Finally, if the US steps back, the EU, the United Nations, and even China can remind the Russians of the political consequences of flagrantly violating international law and swallowing up impoverished, restive territories that will prove far harder to digest than the fixed referendum results would suggest.