In a draft on this issue that has not been used for publication, I wrote:

So are we, at this moment, watching the mother of all gas battles between Russia and Ukraine? The chances are that the dispute will be settled behind the scenes and a makeshift compromise offered to public view - that Western media will accept without too much scrutiny because the narrative of the Russian bear threatening Europe is, for several reasons, a compelling one.

"International observers", "EU monitors", seem at the moment to be the puppets of this compromise, and a return to gas supplies for Europe is being touted this morning on that basis. As soon as they register a token presence, things should calm down.