France suspends delivery of Mistral warship to Russia

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The French government has announced that planned deliveries of two Mistral warships to Russia have been placed on hold. The first delivery was scheduled for October.

After a meeting of the French defense committee on Wednesday, Paris announced that the deliveries would not yet take place given the current unrest in eastern Ukraine.

“The President of the Republic declared that, despite the prospect of a ceasefire which still remains to be confirmed and implemented, the conditions for France to deliver the first warship are not to date in place,” a statement from the office of French President Francois Hollande read.

The deal, originally struck in 2011, is worth some 1.2 billion euros ($1.6 billion). Given France’s slow economic growth and growing unemployment, putting such a large chunk of change at risk by suspending delivery was likely not a decision taken lightly in Paris. It also comes following a recent reshuffle of Hollande’s cabinet.

The first of two Mistral advanced helicopter assault ships was scheduled for delivery next month, and some Russian troops have already been training on the ship – called the Vladivostok – in western France. The second ship was to be delivered next year.

France has drawn international criticism for the deal with Moscow given Russia’s stance on the crisis in eastern Ukraine.

At the beginning of August, Germany withdrew government approval of the export of a military exercise field simulator to Russia. Berlin had already put the deal on hold after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea earlier in the year. That deal was worth around 100 million euros.

DW/ (AP, AFP, Reuters)

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8 responses to “France suspends delivery of Mistral warship to Russia”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar

    Good timing. 😉 The President Of The Republic is wiping his brow now.
    What’s money, after all, in the face of having your own designs used against you. ;-))
    Might as well send the ‘trainees’ home.

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      Of course, it won’t help Holland in the popularity polls, not bringing in the money, even if it’s a correct thing to do. His wife’s book isn’t helping, we see. :-)))
      “Not one party has more than 30 percent of confidence. This is historic. It has never been seen before.” France is very confused.
      But ‘swinging’ to the radical ends of society all the time doesn’t help the country get back on it’s feet either. ‘The People’ need to consider a conservative liberalism again.
      Do those exist anywhere these days ???

  2. 5thDrawer Avatar

    Yea France.

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