Britain’s reliably hard left Guardian blames the deaths of schoolchildren on Vladimir Putin, and his failure to negotiate under the threat of Islamic terrorism: Putin’s iron fist has failed. (Hat tip: Dave Ray.)

Putin previously insisted that Chechnya was a purely domestic issue. Now he appears to be changing tack, talking of the international nature of the threat. Beslan is now officially listed as part of the same Islamist assault on “civilised” [Nice use of scare quotes.—ed.] values that led to the attacks on Twin Towers in New York and Atocha station in Madrid.

The pro-Putin political class (it is quite hard nowadays to find many people who publicly express differing views) is also expressing increasing anger at what it regards as the west’s double standards. Russia gave the United States unequivocal support in September 2001, so why is the west not doing the same in September 2004?

“It is time to put an end to this ambiguity in western minds, which makes the devil of terrorism turn into a rough, but generally nice guy, as soon as he steps from the outside world into Chechnya?” writes political commentator Vladimir Simonov.

In the midst of the crisis, Putin received what he needed from the United Nations - a blanket condemnation of the terrorists, without any link to Russian human rights abuses in Chechnya. As he seeks to assert his own authority, Putin will ensure he reinforces that message to other world leaders.

But the likes of George Bush, Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac also have an opportunity now, to impress upon Putin the need not just to improve security - and anyone who has had dealings with Russian road blocks or airport staff knows how easy it is to slip some cash to be waved through - but also to find political interlocutors, not puppets, in Chechnya. Given the public mood here that will not be easy. And even if talks began, even if international organisations such as the UN or EU became involved, there is no guarantee that the terror would abate. There is no shortage of individual Chechens who are willing to blow themselves up, and as many Russians with them, to avenge what they see as more than a decade of brutalism directed by the Kremlin.