Sonja Margolina on how Russians are ignoring the West's criticism

Sonja Margolina notes that while the West is becoming increasingly wary of Russia, Russians themselves feel more and more comfortable under Vladimir Putin's rule: "The average Russian is at last beginning to benefit from the reforms that were set in motion in the early 1990s. The average consumer, who - thanks to cheap loans - can now realise his consumer dreams, isn't really interested in democracy or human rights. The deaths of Anna Politkovskaya and Alexander Litvinenko haven't dampened their high spirits and they couldn't care less about the West's criticism. Since the defeat in the Cold War they have regained their self confidence. They approve of the Kremlin's policies and its superpower attitude." Change must come from within, Margolina writes: "The West would do well to stop playing the role of moraliser - trying to impose Western values on the Russian people and getting all upset when this transfer of values doesn't go so smoothly."

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