Once again I am struck by the insight and sensitivity to the nuances of Russian politics by Mary Dejevsky of the Independent newspaper. She has written a great article :”Russia under Putin will be different this time” which all the Russian pundits would  well benefit from reading .

The in-depth analysis ends: “So far, Russia's calls have been largely drowned out by the euro crisis and US election skirmishing. Even if they come across loud and clear, however, they could still go unheeded because of the prevalent belief abroad that Putin III will be more interested in aggressive grandstanding than in cooperation. Less than a week into Putin's third term is far too early to second-guess where he wants to take Russia and what he will have to say.”