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News Analysis

War shows Putin running things in Russia

AP, Moscow
When the fighting broke out in Georgia, it was Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and not Russia's new young president who stepped up to lead the country's tough response.
The ongoing conflict has confirmed what has become increasingly obvious in recent weeks: Putin is still the one in charge.
President Dmitry Medvedev has been the Kremlin's voice in recent days, but Putin set the tone from the beginning. And when Medvedev suddenly made an uncharacteristically blunt statement, he seemed to be imitating (he mannerisms and language of his powerful mentor.
After Georgia opened fire on the Russian-backed separatist region of South Ossetia, Putin was the first to speak to the nation on television. I Ie also was the first to confer with world leaders, including President Hush, in Beijing for the opening of (he Olympics.
Putin promised a strong Russian retaliation, which was not long in coming. Russia rolled hundreds of tanks into Georgia and bombed from the air.
On his way home from China last weekend. Putin stopped in
southern Russia to see South Ossetians who had fled the fighting. He was shown repeatedly on television bounding down the steps from the aircraft, sending the clear message that he was ready to take charge.
Georgia s President Mikhail Saakashvili had little doubt who was behind the Russian attack-Speaking on a conference call with foreign journalists Wednesday, he said he had tried to reach "President Putin, or Prime Minister Putin," but was unable to get through.
Even Putin's critics were impressed with his performance in the first days of tlie conflict. "For the first time in my life 1 was amazed by the mastery with which Putin is able to hold onto power," political commentator Yulia Latynina wrote in the online YezhednevnyZhumal.
In contrast, Medvedev chaired a meeting of his Security Council over the weekend and made a statement worthy of the former law professor he is: "In accordance with the constitution and federal law, I, as president of Russia, am obliged to protect the lives and dignity of Russian citizens wher ever they arc located. We won't allow the deaths of our compatriots
go unpunished. "
Russia has given passports to residents of South Ossetia, which broke from Georgia in the early I 1990s.
By Tuesday, the Kremlin image I makers seemed to understand that Medvedev as commander-in-chief had to put in a better performance. And as president, he was the one who needed to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who was in Moscow on a EU-sponsored peace mission.
But when their joint news con ference was delayed, the word circulated among reporters in the Kremlin that the two presidents were waiting for Putin. As if in confirmation of this, the prime minister's motorcade was seen zooming through central Moscow toward the Kremlin.
This created the impression that ; Putin could not really trust Medvedev or Medvedev needed reinforcement, said Masha Lipman, an analyst at the Carnegie MoscowCentre. "In any case I think this too is an indirect indication of who is more important in this ruling tandem," she said.
When Medvedev walked out with Sarkozy for their televised news conference, he spoke like Putin.