PARIS — France has agreed to sell a Mistral-class warship to Russia, a French official said Monday, despite concerns expressed by Georgia, the United States and other countries.
Russia wanted to buy the 21,300-metric-ton helicopter carrier from France to modernize hardware that was exposed as outdated during its five-day war against Georgia in 2008.
"France has agreed to sell a [Mistral] ship to Russia," Jacques de Lajugie, director of international development at the Defense Ministry, told reporters.
France belongs to NATO, and its willingness to sell Russia advanced technology that could be used in a confrontation with its forces or against its allies has caused concern among other NATO members.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was visiting Paris on Monday and told his French counterpart, Herve Morin, that he was concerned about the sale, a U.S. official said.
"Gates made his concerns known. There are a variety of concerns. Eastern European states, Baltic states are very concerned about this, and, in the wake of [the war in] Georgia, they have reason to be," a senior U.S. defense official said.
Several of Russia's neighbors have also expressed worries. Lithuania wrote to France in November asking for clarification of the situation and details of the ship's ammunition.
The U.S. official said Washington believed that the ship "clearly can be used as a warship for helicopter operations."
The Mistral, marketed by French naval concern DCNS and estimated by analysts to cost between 300 million and 500 million euros ($410 million to $683 million), is an amphibious assault ship able to carry helicopters, troops, armored vehicles and tanks thousands of miles.
During the war with Georgia, launched to repel Tbilisi's attempt to retake the rebel province of South Ossetia, Russia tried to control the Black Sea coast where NATO warships appeared. Russia has said it could have moved more swiftly in the Black Sea if a Mistral-type ship had been in its fleet.
(Reuters, Bloomberg)
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.