France may sink Russian Mistrals

"Mistral"
Photo: nv.ua

French authorities are studying the possibility of sinking two Mistral helicopter carriers if it is impossible to transfer them to Russia. This is the cheapest solution to the problem.

“Among the main options being considered by Paris is the destruction of ships. We can talk about dismantling them or even sinking them on the open sea. This option was briefly considered when deciding the fate of the French aircraft carrier Clemenceau,” the Parisian newspaper Figaro reported on Wednesday.

The publication emphasizes that this is the cheapest solution to the problem, but it may cause shock for many. “Such actions are completely unacceptable, if only out of respect for the workers from Saint-Nazaire who built the ships,” the newspaper quotes the words of an unnamed French military leader.

Infographics nv.ua

Another possibility being considered by Paris is the use of Mistrals by the French Navy, but in this case the ships, built taking into account the wishes of the Russian side, will have to be refitted. The material states that the cost of such work could amount to hundreds of millions of euros.

“Therefore, the French authorities consider the most suitable option for them to solve the problem is to sell the Mistrals to a new client,” writes Figaro. Among the potential buyers, according to her, are Canada and Egypt.

At the end of April, the Reuters news agency reported that France would soon announce an official refusal to sell Mistral warships to Russia.

Earlier, French President Francois Hollande announced his readiness to return money received from Russia for the construction of ships.

7 December 2014 of the year MEP Jacek Sariusz-Volsky proposed transferring the helicopter carriers to Ukraine in order to protect the waters of the Black Sea from Russian aggression.

On November 25, 2014, France officially suspended the transfer of Mistrals to Russia due to aggression in Ukraine. According to some reports, Russia has already begun preparing for a trial with France, hiring a team of international lawyers.

In addition, probably in retaliation, Moscow proposed banning the import of French wines, and the French publish comic advertisements on the Internet about the sale of Mistrals.