With "friends" like Merkel and Macron, does Zelensky really need Putin as an enemy?

 In 2015 (18/08/2015 10:49) I wrote that,

"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." (Blog Entry : 18 August 2015)

Putin is now finally throwing caution to the wind by staring into the abyss of all out war with Ukraine.

As reported by John Varga,

"Fears have been growing of an imminent invasion of the Donbas region by Russia, as it amasses troops and weapons on its borders with Ukraine. According to Ukraine's army commander General Ruslan Khomchak, Moscow has deployed at least 28 battalion tactical groups to it border region with its Slavic neighbour and to the Crimea. This equates roughly to around 20,000 - 25,000 troops." (Express : 12 April 2021) (my emphasis)

As also reported by Sean Mathews,

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Istanbul over the weekend to mark the 10th anniversary of his country’s strategic partnership with Turkey and shore up support from his Black Sea neighbour as tensions escalate with Russia over Ukraine’s simmering war in Donbas." (Aljazeera: 11 April 2021) (my emphasis)

Since Putin's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea in 2014, he has poured $billions into creating a political fait accompli that Crimea is now part of Russia.

(Aljazeera: 11 April 2021)

Putin's "White Elephant" bridge between Crimea and Russia is NOT enough as a link between Russia and Ukraine. 

Putin needs a land bridge. 

And it is with this in mind that Putin is now putting his cherished ideal of a land bridge between Russia and Ukraine by readying his troops for a full scale invasion of Ukraine, specifically readying them for a push towards Mariupol. 

Jon Lockett (The Sun: 11 April 2021)

Jon Lockett also rather chillingly reports that,

"Dmitry Kozak (left), deputy head of Russia’s presidential administration, said Kiev's leaders were like "children playing with matches."

He chillingly added any "military action… would be the beginning of the end of Ukraine." (The Sun: 11 April 2021) (my emphasis

US President Biden has fired a warning shot over the military preparations bow of Putin.

As reported by RFE/RL,

"The United States has warned of "consequences" if Russia "acts recklessly or aggressively" toward Ukraine amid concerns over Moscow's troop buildup near Ukraine's borders.

"President Biden's been very clear about this," Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) told NBC's Meet The Press on April 11. "If Russia acts recklessly, or aggressively, there will be costs, there will be consequences." (RFE/RL :11 April 2021) (my emphasis)

Meanwhile, UNIAN reports that,

"On March 30, 2021, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin and called on Russia to take on obligations to stabilize the ceasefire in Donbas." UNIAN : 5 April 2021) (my emphasis)

As I stated in my last blog entry (2 April 2021)

Putin wants the fate of Ukraine to be decided between himself, Angela Merkel, and Emmanuel Macron.

With this in mind, it is rather interesting to note that, as DW (Deutsche Welle), reports,

"German Chancellor Angela Merkel had urged Russia to reduce troop presence near Ukraine during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Peskov said that Merkel expressed concerns, but "did not demand" the Kremlin to unwind its military buildup, which was an "internal affair." (DW: 11 April 2021) (my emphasis)

One should not be at all surprised that for Merkel, Putin's war manoeuvres on Ukraine's border is purely a Russian "internal" affair, just as she regards Nord Stream2 as a purely economic affair between Russia and Germany, and which has nothing at all to do with Putin's war with Ukraine.

What is perhaps even more striking about Angela Merkel's attitude towards Putin's war mongering with Ukraine is the fact that, together with Macron, they MAY hold a meeting with Zelensky.

There are those who may argue that Putin is merely "sabre rattling" towards Ukraine.

But the critical shortage of water in Crimea is pushing him towards the abyss of all-out war with Ukraine.

Only that land bridge at Mariupol will allow him to relieve the crisis of water supplies to his troops stationed in Crimea.

As UNIAN reports,

"They [Putin's army in Ukraine's Crimea] care about water supplies to military bases. But talking about water for ordinary homes of ordinary residents of Simferopol or Sevastopol – who cares?" summed up the official.

• Prior to the occupation of Crimea by Russia, Ukraine used to cover up to 85% of the peninsula's demand for freshwater through the North Crimean Canal.

•  After Russia grabbed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, Ukraine severed water supplies there.

•  In 2020, the situation with the availability of water in Crimea reached a critical level over droughts and shallowing of reservoirs. The occupying authorities limited the use of water in many towns and villages (UNIAN : 11 April 2021) (my emphasis)
  

As I have stated, "It is with this in mind that Putin is now putting his cherished ideal of a land bridge between Russia and Ukraine by readying his troops for a full scale invasion of Ukraine, specifically readying them for a push towards Mariupol.", to ensure that his troops in Crimea have enough water.

Are Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron ignorant of this fact?

With "friends" like Merkel and Macron, does Zelensky really need Putin as an enemy?

(to be contuned)