Will Trump's trade war with the EU cause the EU sanctions against Putin to crack?

"The law about riding the tiger of deception states that, "The longer you stay on, the easier it is to fall off."

In October of 2014,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday ordered government agencies responsible for major construction projects to build a bridge across the Kerch Strait connecting Crimea and Russia before the end of 2018.

The order was given on Wednesday at a session of the State Council, the country’s main consultative body, in Novosibirsk, Russian news agency TASS reported." (Global Construction Review : 9 October 2014) (my emphasis) 

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)

Adding to his problems with a critical part of his Kerch Bridge in danger of collapse, Putin now also has to contend with the fact that,

"Ukraine has received the first U.S. Javelin missiles and launch units, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday. (Pavel Polityuk : Reuters :30 April :2018) (my emphasis)

And whilst the Kerch bridge is collapsing, and the Ukrainian Army becomes even more of a powerful adversary against Putin's forces in the Donbas,

"The G7 Foreign Ministers have said sanctions against Russia will continue.
...
"Minister [Minister of International Trade of Canada Chrystia] Freeland and G7 Foreign Ministers reaffirmed our shared respect for rules-based international order, including on territorial sovereignty. Sanctions imposed on Russia following its unacceptable actions in Ukraine will continue," Canada's Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter on April 22, 2018." (UNIAN : 23 April, 2018) (my emphasis)

In response to these negative developments,

"Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) calls on the international community to put more pressure on Russia over recent escalation in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. "Russia needs destabilization of Ukraine. 61 attacks, mortars used. 7 UA WIA [wounded in action]. Urge partners exert more pressure on Ru," MFA press secretary Mariana Betsa (left) wrote on Sunday, April 29." (UNIAN : 29 April, 2018) (my emphasis)

It is therefore no wonder that,

"A special order will be in effect with the decision of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on the start of the operation of joint forces in the area of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The resolution on the special order was handed to Interfax-Ukraine by the Command of the joint headquarters on Friday.

The resolution will take effect on Monday, April 30." (Kyiv Post : April 28, 2018) (my emphasis)

Giving Putin some cheer is the fact that Trump is not budging on his recently pronounced tariffs on  steel and aluminium from the EU.

His recent meeting with Angela Merkel was, to say the least, somewhat frosty.

As reported by Julie Hirschfeld Davis,

"President Trump and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany made no attempt on Friday to hide their disagreements over the future of the Iran nuclear deal and trade relations between the United States and Europe after a day of White House meetings that appeared to have produced no breakthroughs on major disputes. (New York Times : 27 April, 2018) (my emphasis)

Shawn Donnan and Jim Brunsden (left) also report that,
 
"The White House on Monday said the EU, Canada and Mexico had been given a “final” 30-day window to negotiate deals with the Trump administration to permanently avoid the import taxes. Mr Trump said he was imposing the duties in the name of “national security” and to combat global overcapacity in metals fed by soaring Chinese production over the past decade." (Financial Times : 1 May, 2018)
 
But, as  Daniel Boffey writes,

"The EU has warned that it will not “shoot from the hip” but is fully prepared for a trade war with the US amid heightened concerns that the bloc’s last minute crisis talks are doomed to fail." (The Guardian : 30 April, 2018) (my emphasis)

This is a trade war that Putin relishes since it will add pressure to the calls of German businessmen, in particular, to get rid of the EU sanctions imposed against Putin because of his illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea, and his ongoing war with Ukraine in the Donbas.  

As of yet we are not sure how the Danish parliament will react to the question of whether to grant Putin permission for his Nord Stream 2 pipeline to cross their territorial waters.

German businessmen are anxiously awaiting the decision of the Danes, as is Putin.

Whilst the EU may be ready for a Trade War with Donald Trump, the disagreements between Angela Merkel and Donald Trump may yet turn out to be the excuse that will be used to unravel the EU sanctions against Putin. 

Like the Kerch bridge, will Trump's trade war with the EU cause the EU sanctions against Putin to begin to crack.

(to be continued)