France puts Mistral warship delivery to Russia on hold [View all]
Last edited Wed Sep 3, 2014, 12:04 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: Deutsche Welle
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 - to date, the conditions for France to deliver the first warship are not 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.
Read more: http://www.dw.de/france-puts-mistral-warship-delivery-to-russia-on-hold/a-17897817
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