On the other hand, the Kremlin, which has already paid 1,6 billions of dollars for the two ships, is ready to claim compensation in Paris if it does not receive the two helicopter carriers (which, however, may already be able to build because they have the projects).
In between, then, there is the NATO that has already been invited by the United States to purchase (it would be better to requisition) the French helicopter class "Mistral" entirely paid by Moscow in the 2011. France should refuse to transfer these warships to Russia - they wrote from the US Congress - we renew our call for NATO to buy warships, turning them into a common good for the Organization ".
The agreement was questioned after the economic sanctions imposed by the West against Russia due to its "alleged" involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.
The delivery to the Russians of the first boat, the 'Vladivostok', was initially set for the next November 15, a term then postponed to an unspecified date of the current year. The West fears the rapid attack capability that Russia would acquire with the two French helicopter carriers. The same French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on the matter expressed himself stating that "the conditions for the delivery of the helicopter carrier would not have been met".
Also French President Francois Hollande, last September, hypothesized the freezing of the "Mistrals" to Russia. Moscow replied that it would respect Paris's wishes only after receiving the 1,6 billion-dollar check already collected by the French to buy the two ships. At that juncture, the French Foreign Minister Laurent noted that the loss of the contract with Moscow would have negatively affected the French economy.
But the Russian press has been unleashed in these hours, attacking precisely the Hollande government, strong in the poll, conducted by the newspaper Le Figaro, on the Mistral affair. It emerged that for the 60 per cent of the French, Paris should respect the contract. And while it turns out that at the port of Saint-Nazaire there are, on "forced vacation", a hundred sailors sent by the Kremlin ready to transfer the first "Mistral" to their homeland, the Russian press taunts the Elysium with "humor "Purely western.
Do you know what you would give up (or you could buy), headlines in Russian newspapers addressing the French, if your government were to give us back 1,6 billion dollars translated into 1,2 billion euros?
The examples are eleven. With that figure 57 Hollande election campaigns could be organized and buy one million seven hundred thousand Iphone 6. With that sum, the French could also organize five soccer world championships, buy 300 million baguettes, ninety thousand Clio 4, nine thousand tons of foie gras and nine Rafale fighters. Returning the check to Moscow would mean - provoke by the Russian press - that all state employees should give up seven days off, while the entire French population should pay 18 euros each to the government. Delivering the Mistrals - continue from Moscow - they could also pay eight billion cubic meters of gas, the 93% of the total purchased by the French in the 2013 (just by the Russians).
The 'Vladivostok', was built at the DCNS shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, and the 15 was launched last October. Russia and France signed in the 2011, a contract of 1,6 billion dollars for two Mistral class helicopter carriers. Each Russian 'Mistral' will carry sixteen Kamov Ka-52K attack helicopters, fourteen Ka-29 transport helicopters, four assault ships or seventy armored vehicles and 450 soldiers. The second Mistral-class ship, the 'Sevastopol', according to contract should become part of the Black Sea Fleet by the 2015.
Franco Iacch
