One of the great debates about Russia is now over. We no longer need to argue about whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s reassertion of state power is good for the economy and thus essentially benign. We do not need to ponder whether the selection of the “liberal” Dmitry Medvedev as president means the country will soon, again, become freer. We can cast aside discussions about whether strong-arm Kremlin chiefs will make more reliable partners for the west than the shambolic democrats who preceded them.