Poemless:  this is an interesting series of observations.

In fact it is not so easy to get Putin's signature. The situation has changed -even compared with this past summer. All the sources in the Kremlin and the White House assert that the prime minister does very little work. "Something needs to be decided, but he is not there," a Kremlin staffer confides, "that is to say, he is nowhere to be found, and (chief of Putin's bodyguard Viktor) Zolotov says: I don't know what to advise you, I'm not going to harass him." A situation has apparently been repeated twice where financial speculators were buying up currency and the Central Bank delayed reducing the ruble rate of exchange for 24 hours because they could not find Putin.

Not to deny that Putin and Medvedev are a team, even if unequal, but it may be that Putin is frustrated by having to work through someone rather than having more direct control.  Could he be having "buyers remorse" over the situation that has resulted from staying within the formal bounds of their constitution?  And/or, could this be producing mood swings or other mood problems that make it more difficult for him to function? SAD? If so that could be further complicating efforts to control an already difficult situation.  

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."