France cannot resell Mistral-class ships without Russian consent - source

11:08, 24.12.2014 1 min read

France has no right to sell Mistral-class helicopter carriers to a third country without Moscow's consent, a French source familiar with the situation told Interfax.

"France is unable to resell the Mistral-class helicopter carrier without the consent of Russia because the ship's stern was built by Russian shipyards," he said.

Given this circumstance, Paris will prefer to deliver the Mistral-class ship to Russia, the source said. "A French refusal to deliver the Mistral-class ship to Russia will have the most negative implications for its reputation," he said.

The delivery deadlines have yet to be set, the source said. "France is waiting for the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis to hand over the Mistral-class ships to Russia. For now, Paris has chosen to delay the approval of this delivery," the source said.