Everyone is saying that Putin has 'dumped' Medvedev, and commenting on the fact that the President's young and hitherto sprightly erstwhile favourite is nowadays looking rather forlorn, lost and helpless. Some say the Young Liberal is waiting to be summoned back into the Arch-Conservative’s embrace. While this is unlikely, there are those who percipiently point out that Putin is also looking lonely these days. Cohabitation with Medvedev in the tandem in some ways seemed to do him good; it also changed him. The National Leader no longer seems quite so cut out for lofty political solitude. He needs a new partner and there are a lot of signs that he has already gone some way to finding one. [Read more]