I believe less fuss about the latest Gazprom actions can be explained, in part, by the diminished demand for energy on the global scale.

On the other note, I lived in the former USSR for a good chunk of my life, and I absolutely agree that the executive branch of power in each post-soviet nation has much more control over the economy (and the other branches as well) than it is realized by the Westerners. Power equals money there, so there is a permanent struggle between veterans and newcomers for influence where it really matters.

Anyway, in the recent TV interview Alexander Medvedev, the Director-General of Gazprom Export, said that the EC should seriously consider investing in alternative gas pipelines, since Ukraine was no longer a reliable transit route, from the Kremlin point of view. If this is the case, why Russia and Gazprom aren't trying to re-negotiate the contracts with their EU partners, to guarantee delivery to the Ukrainian border, and let the Europeans to deal with Ukraine?