Rarely have the many faces of Vladimir Putin been seen in such quick succession. Today, the Russian president flies into his home city of St Petersburg for a business forum aimed at showcasing Russia's economic recovery. As he meets international chief executives tonight, they can expect to meet Charming Putin.

At this week's Group of Eight summit, Statesman Putin surprised George W. Bush, his US counterpart, with a compromise aimed at solving the stand-off over US plans for a missile shield in eastern Europe.