France says it cannot deliver Mistral warship to Russia over Ukraine
Published time: September 03, 2014 16:03 Edited time: September 03, 2014 17:29 Get short URL <http://rt.com/news/184848-france-mistral-delivery-russia/> The Mistral-class helicopter carrier (Reuters/Stephane Mahe) 1.1K45316 France has suspended delivery of the first of two Mistral helicopter carrier ships to Russia, due to events in eastern Ukraine. “The situation is serious. Russia’s recent actions in the east of Ukraine contravene the fundamental principles of European security,” said a statement from the office of President Francois Hollande. "The president of the Republic has concluded that despite the prospect of ceasefire, which has yet to be confirmed and put in place, the conditions under which France could authorise the delivery of the first helicopter carrier are not in place." The two ships were commissioned by Russia in 2011 at a cost of $1.6 billion. The first of these, the Vladivostok, was due to come into service at the end of this year, with the second, the Sevastopol, due to be completed in 2015. While Moscow officials earlier admitted that in terms of efficiency and versatility the cutting-edge Mistral has no equivalent in the Russian Navy, the deal was always considered controversial, as France was a Cold War adversary, and is a founding member of NATO. France’s suspension does not fall under the sectoral sanctions the EU and the US imposed upon Russia for purported meddling in the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, introduced last month. That raft of sanctions did not cover deals signed before their imposition. As the rift over Ukraine has widened, Russian officials have repeatedly said that they would accept the French government’s failure to deliver the ships, as long as it paid the penalty for breaking the contract, approximately equivalent to the cost of the ships. There had been speculation of NATO taking over the Mistral order from Russia, following a proposal from a group of US congressmen back in May. Earlier this week, the Alliance chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen did not rule out the possibility, but said that it “remains a national decision, not for NATO to interfere.” In the aftermath of the announcement from Hollande, NATO maintained that it wasn't forcing France to suspend the sale. Previously US President Barack Obama said France should “press the pause button” on the deal, while fighting in Ukraine is in progress. French officials resisted, citing concerns over reputational damage, and saying that the financial penalties might hurt Paris more than Moscow. But they could earn at least a temporary reprieve from compensation if arms exports to Russia fall under the new sanctions the European Union has threatened to impose. The European Union is expected to implement them later this week. http://rt.com/news/184848-france-mistral-delivery-russia/
