Barely a month has passed since Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's president, steely eyed and jaw set, announced that he was not afraid of a new cold war with the west, and prime minister Vladimir Putin, teeth gritted and neck veins bulging, told a television interviewer that the United States had orchestrated Russia's recent war with Georgia.

This week, however, a kinder, softer image of both men will be on display as Mr Medvedev yesterday unveiled his first podcast and Mr Putin's handlers are putting the finishing touches on his new website.