TODAY: Patriarch Alexei II dies in Moscow; Putin’s Q&A, Medvedev tries to define his boundaries; EU responds negatively to Russia’s proposed security measures and moves to boost ties with former Soviet states; masked police invade human rights offices; Politkovskaya trials moves into closed courts.

Vladimir Putin held his live question and answer session yesterday on Russian television.  The New York Times sums the session up by saying that the Prime Minister ‘spent more than three hours Thursday afternoon trying to calm Russians concerned that they may be victimized by yet another economic crisis‘.  This has been his message for some time now.  To the suggestion that he might step down next year to prevent the worsening economy from damaging his personal popularity, Putin said, ‘It has always been a rule for me never to run away from problems.  You have to fight these problems and take full responsibility for what you do.‘  But when problems arise, who will take the blame?  When asked what he loves most, Putin replied, ‘Most of all, I love Russia‘.  Meanwhile, President Dmitry Medvedev has attempted to reassert his role in relation to Putin, insisting to the Indian media that ‘it is absolutely clear that his activities are his job, while my job is my job‘.