Yes, but by stating the obvious, Medvedev does indeed undercut Putin's fantasies

EUROPE: "Russian modernization: Dmitry Medvedev's building project: The Russian president talks up modernization, but to little purpose," The Economist, 28 November 2009.

"Modernization" replaces "stabilization" as the buzzword in Moscow, which can't help the stolid and unimaginative Putin, despite his continuing power and likely return to the presidency.

Just gives us a few more years to blow off Russia as . . . pretty much anything.

This article is mostly about pointing out how Medvedev is a domestic Wilsonian--all the right ideas and none of the skills or assets to pull any off.

But he does start the conversation as to whether modernization is possible without liberalization, and that counts for something.