Putin's final push towards Mariupol?

There is something quite perverse going on in the White House when,

"The Wall Street Journal reported (in July!) that the Pentagon’s proposal, which is awaiting approval from the Obama White House, would provide Ukraine with counter-battery radar that would help the country determine from where an incoming projectile was fired in order to more precisely retaliate against separatists." (Morgan Chalfant : Washington Free Beacon : July 23, 2015) (my emphasis)

whilst today (18 Aug. 2015),

"..the Obama Administration refuses to provide lethal assistance to Kiev, and even previously promised nonlethal assistance isn’t always forthcoming....
...
The [counter-battery radar] system is ready to be delivered, according to a senior American military official, who says the U.S. military is also prepared to provide training. But the Pentagon still needs political authorization in Washington almost a month after the original announcement was made to great press fanfare." (Wall Street Journal : Aug. 17, 2015)

And Obama continues to sit on his hands even as,

"Russian proxies in occupied eastern Ukraine shelled Ukrainian-government positions over the weekend and on Aug. 17. The artillery barrage killed two civilians and wounded several others in Sartana, near the Sea of Azov. Its one of the larger-scale escalations of the conflict since a winter cease-fire" (ibid KyivPost) (my emphasis)
 
What is even more significant is that Putinversteher Walter Steinmeier (left), Germany's Foreign Minister, is

".... calling the situation in eastern Ukraine "explosive", [and] urged both parties in the conflict to come together quickly for talks to prevent a spiral in violence" (The Economic Times : 16 Aug, 2015)(my emphasis)

  

 (BBC News Report : 17th August, 2015)

 
And whilst Obama is with-holding supplying Poroshenko with radar that can protect Ukrainian civilians from the current shelling onslaught by Putin's Russian soldiers and rebel-proxies in eastern Ukraine,

AFP reports that, during his third visit to Ukrainian Crimea,

"Putin held a government meeting in the Crimean city of Yalta to discuss the stuttering economic development of the peninsula under Moscow's rule." (AFP : 17 Aug. 2015) (my emphasis)

Poroshenko (left) is correct in saying that,

“Putin’s arrival in Ukrainian Crimea, without agreement from Ukrainian authorities, is a challenge to the civilized world,” Mr Poroshenko said.

He called the visit “a continuation of a plan to escalate the situation, which is being carried out by Russian troops and their mercenaries” in eastern Ukraine. (Daniel McLaughlin (right) : Irish Times : Tue, Aug 18, 2015) (my emphasis)

 
The 'public' reason for Putin's recent visit to Ukrainian Crimea does not quite ring true. Let us cast our minds back to a few days ago.

• Putin held an “operative meeting” on August 12 with the members of the Russian Security Council about escalating violence in eastern Ukraine. (RFERL : Tuesday, August 18, 2015)
• The Kremlin said the focus of the meeting was on attacks on pro-Russian separatists as well as residents of eastern Ukraine... (ibid RFERL)
• Military authorities in Ukraine believe the number of Russian troops within and close to its borders has risen to more than 50,000, raising fears of a substantial escalation in the conflict raging in Ukraine's eastern regions. (Adam Nathan: The Independent : Sunday 16 August 2015)
• Ukrainian officials reported two civilian deaths on their side, in a suburb of Mariupol on the Black Sea. The Ukrainian Security and Defense Council also reported two troops killed and six injured overnight. (AP : Indian Express : Aug 18. 2015)
• The clashes, near the port of Mariupol in the south-east and at rebel-held Horlivka, further frayed an increasingly tenuous ceasefire as Ukraine prepared to mark its independence day next week. (ABC Australia : August 18, 2015)

With these current events in mind, it seems that Putin is now more determined than ever to obtain his land-bridge between Russia and Ukrainian Crimea. 

He is masking the 'true' reason for visit to Ukrainian Crimea, which is to ready his troops in Ukrainian Crimea to support his soldiers and rebel-proxies in eastern Ukraine during their final push towards Mariupol.

Indeed, it may be, "the stuttering economic development " of [Ukrainian Crimea now] under Moscow's rule that is compelling Putin and his Kremlin 'siloviki' to throw caution to the wind and simply invade Mariupol.

And indirectly aiding and abetting Putin is President Obama, sitting on his hands in the White House whilst watching this scenario unfold before his very eyes.  

(to be continued)