France Faces Huge Mistral Bill For Halting Russia Deal -- BBC
The decision to suspend delivery of a Mistral naval assault ship to Russia risks costing France at least 1bn euros (£800m), officials say.
French President Francois Hollande said Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine meant conditions were not right for delivery of the helicopter-carrier.
He later said "a ceasefire and a political settlement" should be in place before the deal could go ahead.
Russia was expecting two Mistral ships - the first one in October.
A French diplomat earlier said the contract was suspended until November, and the delay "could cost us 1bn euros".
The deal is worth 1.2bn euros - and Russia is reported to have paid most of it, so breach of contract would mean France having to reimburse that money.
In addition, France would be liable for an extra 251m-euro penalty payment, French news website LCI reports.
The first ship is called the Vladivostok.
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More News On France's Decision To Suspend Delivery Of A Mistral Naval Assault Ship To Russia
France Said to Weigh Cost of Ditching Russia Mistral Deal -- Bloomberg
France conditions Mistral delivery to Russia on ceasefire, political settlement in Ukraine -- ITAR TASS
France suspends Mistral warship delivery to Russia -- France 24
France changes tack on Mistral warship delivery to Russia -- Deutsche Welle
France Puts Off Delivery of First Mistral-Class Helicopter Carrier to Russia -- RIA Novosti
France backs off sending Mistral warship to Russia in $1.7 billion deal -- Washington post
Hollande: Ceasefire Should Be Reached In Ukraine For France to Deliver Mistral to Russia -- RIA Novosti
France to cause long-term damage to relations with Russia if refuses to deliver Mistral -- ITAR-TASS
Russia Confident Warship Deal With France Will Proceed -- VOA
Russia still expects France to deliver Mistral warships -- France 24
France calls off Mistral warship sale to Russia. Should EU buy it instead? -- Sara Miller Llana, CSM
1 comment:
How is the old jury trial mantra go?
If you have the facts argue the facts.
If you have the law argue the law.
If you have neither, just argue.
It seems as though France has poor lawyers and politicians. No one is any better.
Certainly if you might go to war with someone, you should not have to pay them a penalty payment for breaking an arms deal, when they are an agggressor nation.
There should have been a clause in the contract and there probably was not one.
IMO there should be such clauses now should be boilerplate now.
Governments can break or ignore law as they please. Certainly Russia has broken law by arming and supporting the rebels with ground forces. In that case cannot France ignore a law. It would not make them the same. It would make them not stupid, not a patsy
If Russia felt that a related ethnic minority in Ukraine were not being ethnically cleansed or similarly hurt, but that their rights were still suppressed (they were; no plebiscite was held), they should have went to the UN or some such world body. Upon not getting satisfaction then they would have casus belli.
They should ignore this contract law.
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