The fighting in Georgia has answered the question that world leaders have been asking since Vladimir Putin stepped down as President this year: who runs Russia?

The answer, of course, is Mr Putin. It came not from Moscow, but from Beijing – 4,500 miles away – where the Russian Prime Minister was watching the Olympics when Georgia mounted its assault on South Ossetia.

Attending the opening ceremony of the Games, Mr Putin strongly condemned the military attack and vowed retaliation. Only several hours later did President Medvedev, Mr Putin’s handpicked successor, take to the airwaves.