Reply #4: Not to mention his influence in Aizerbaijan,

[Igel]

and let's not forget the implications from what Russia's been doing in S. Ossetia and Abkhazia.

At least it's still better than the tangential implications from Chechnya: It's either out-and-out Russian imperialism, or a threat to other minorities not to break away and take important resources away from Moscow's control.

On the other hand, the Russians have shown well enough that you can win an insurgency, as long as you show that you're both ruthless and venal enough, and occupation and rather severe meddling in other countries affairs is tolerated as long as you tell those complaining about it to screw themselves. "No gain and yet pain" isn't widely considered a good position to be in.