The last decade was difficult for Russia. Imagine living one day in one country and then waking up in another. The transition to democratic institutions and a market economy have been wrenching. Its brought with it terrorism, corruption, and official lawlessness. So you can forgive Russians for wondering if the price they paid for freedom was too high. All the same, neither the Soviet Union nor the Cold War is coming back. Russia is not interested in a confrontation with the West. Today, Russia's greatest vulnerability is the threat of internal disintegration. President Putin's measures may arrest it or speed it up. We'll see if he can dodge the conundrum that left the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, without a country.