Citing Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, the French government said conditions were “not right” for the warship delivery.
AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, Presidential Press Service
France suspended the delivery of two Mistral navy assault ships to Russia on Wednesday citing Moscow's military intervention in the Ukrainian conflict. The French government said conditions were "not right" for the delivery. The decision comes as NATO members will discuss taking concrete steps to deal with Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine during the Wales Summit this week.
"Russia's recent actions run against the foundations of security in Europe," President Francois Hollande's office said in a statement, The Moscow Times reported. "The president of the republic has concluded that despite the prospect of cease-fire, which has yet to be confirmed and put in place, the conditions under which France could authorize the delivery of the first helicopter carrier are not in place."
The French government was under pressure from the U.S. and its allies to cancel its delivery of two helicopter carriers, the first of which was due in October. But until now France had not given in to the pressure to halt delivery of the warships which would have boosted Russia's amphibious capability, the BBC reported.
France had long been criticized by its allies for the $1.6 billion sale of weaponry to Moscow in 2011. Around 400 Russian soldiers had begun training aboard the first French warship in June.
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