The millstone of sanctions around Putin's neck is becoming unbearable.

In my blog entry of May 1, 2018, I wrote that,

"Unfortunately for Putin, as AT writes,

"On the Crimean bridge began to collapse support. The bridge can already be called emergency. According to safety rules, it is already necessary to demolish the problematic support and build a new one
...
But this concrete will create a huge load on the piles... 
...
If the bridge is opened and a stream of cars is allowed, it will cause even more load.
...
Many people will not even know that they are going to the emergency bridge, because the Russian propogandists were given a command that says nothing about it. (AT : YouTube : 24 Apr 2018) (my emphasis) (cf. also: Igor Korsakov)"

Fifteen days later,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has attended the opening of the Crimean bridge.
...
 Being at the wheel of a Kamaz truck, Putin led a column of trucks.
...
Motor traffic along the Crimean bridge will be opened at 05:30 on May 16" (UNIAN : 15 May, 2018) (my emphasis)

Putin, however, is also well aware of the serious problems that beset his Kerch Bridge, a bridge that may soon turn out to be a "white elephant".

A white elephant is a possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness.

The remarks of Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, rather neatly sums up this opening of Putin's bridge.

""The illegal construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge is more evidence of Kremlin neglect of international law
...
"Russia will be fully responsible, and the bridge will be necessary for the invaders when they leave our Crimea urgently," Poroshenko said. (Interfax-Ukraine: 15.05.2018) (my emphasis)

Hedging his bets in case his Kerch bridge proves to be the 'white elephant' that it is, Putin has begun to accelerate his attempt to secure a land-bridge connection between Russia and Ukraine.

As reported by UNIAN, 

• "Russian-led forces mounted 80 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in the past day...In particular, the Russian occupation forces attacked the Ukrainian forces 22 times with the use of artillery systems and mortars, and there were two tank attacks ..." (7 May, 2018) (my emphasis)

• "Fierce fighting with Russian-led troops in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, continued on Saturday, May 12, as a result of which one Ukrainian soldier was killed in action, another four were wounded in action." (13 May, 2018)

• "The Russian-led forces in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, have started using the latest weapons against the Ukrainian army. A few days ago, the enemy launched the newest rockets to shell Ukrainian positions near the Ukrainian-controlled strategic port city of Mariupol" (13 May, 2018) (my emphasis)

• "Russian-led forces mounted 45 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas in the past day, using heavy weapons 17 times. "Over the past 24 hours, the situation remained tense. The fighting intensified after 16:00 and continued in all sectors," (16 May, 2018) (my emphasis) 

As Kurt Volker is being given new powers as the US representative in Ukraine, UAWire reports that,

"Volker and Vladislav Surkov (right: Volker and Surkov) did not reach an agreement in the negotiations.
...
The stumbling point was  the law about the reintegration of the Donbas." (UAWire : Tuesday, May 15, 2018) (my emphasis)

And after [Kurt Volker's] visit to the Donbas, the first trip of the U.S. envoy to eastern Ukraine since the start of the JFO, the new military operation of the Ukrainian government in the conflict-hit region, Volker realised that,

"If Russia will veto the decision on peacekeepers, it means Kremlin wants to continue the war." (LiveUAmap: 15 May, 2018) (my emphasis) 

Putin's current escalation of the war between Ukraine and Russia should also be viewed against the backdrop of the effects that the new US sanctions against Russia are having, especially among his kleptocratic "inner circle".

As Benjamin Bathke and Elena Barysheva Report,

"Russian lawmakers have drafted a bill that would make it a criminal offence punishable by up to four years in jail to observe sanctions imposed by the United States or other foreign countries, Russian news agencies reported on Tuesday." (DW : 15.05.2018) (my emphasis)

To soften this blow on ordinary Russian citizens, Jamie Dettmer reports that,

"Initially, Russian lawmakers said they would impose restrictions on a wide range of specific goods and services from the United States, including medicine and agricultural products; but, in the draft legislation approved on May 15, language that targeted specific goods to soften the impact on Russian consumers and industries was removed." (VOA : 15 May, 2018) (my emphasis)

Russia is also starting to print money to assist Putin's billionaires who are now under US sanctions.

As UAWire reports,

"The Russian government has already given assistance to sanctioned billionaire Viktor Vekselberg’s Renova Group, and is currently working on financial support measures for Oleg Deripaska’s companies, including Rusal and the GAZ group, as announced on Monday by Russia’s acting  Finance Minister Anton Siluanov." (UAWire : Tuesday, May 15, 2018) (my emphasis)

This printing of money by Putin already amounts to $ billions. (ibid UAWire)

So whilst Putin was driving his truck along the emergency bridge of his Kerch bridge, he drove with a troubled mind.

Bailing out his 'inner circle' from the sanctions imposed upon them by the US, by printing billions upon billions of Roubles, shows that Putin is a worried man.
 
The millstone of sanctions around his neck is already becoming unbearable. 

(to be continued)