A Suprised Meeting Between Russian President Putin And French President Hollande In Moscow

Meeting Between Russian President Putin And French President Hollande In Moscow. Maxin Zmeyev, Reuters

Putin, Hollande Have Meeting At Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport -- ITAR-TASS

Putin is confident the visit of Hollande will favour settlement of many international problems

AIRPORT VNUKOVO, December 6. /TASS/. Presidents of Russia and France Putin and Hollande have begun a meeting at the governmental terminal of the Moscow Vnukovo airport.

The talks have not been pre-planned, and were agreed within last 24 hours.

Hollande is making a stop in Moscow on the way home from Kazakhstan, where he was on a two-day visit.

Vladimir Putin is confident the visit of France’s President Francois Hollande will favour settlement of many international problems.

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More News On Today's Meeting Between Russian President Putin And French President Hollande In Moscow

Hollande meets Putin in impromptu visit to Moscow for Ukraine crisis talks -- RT
France's Hollande meets Putin on Ukraine crisis -- Reuters
Hollande, Putin Impromptu Meeting Gets Underway -- Sputnik
Hollande to meet Putin in surprise Moscow visit: reports -- Deutsche Welle
France's Hollande to meet Putin in Moscow: Kremlin -- Reuters
French President Hollande urgently flies to Moscow to meet Putin -- Pravda

My Comment: German Chancellor Merkel was always the European representative who had one-on-one talks with Putin .... but that relationship has grown cold. It looks like French President Hollande is now the European leader who has been given the job of having one-on-one talks with Putin .... which probably suits Hollande fine .... especially since he knows that the onus is on him to act in smoothing France's relationship with Russia over the Mistral contract debacle.

Russia Tells France That Delays In Delivering The Mistral Carrier Will Damage Military Cooperation In The Future

© Sputnik. Danichev Alexe

Russia Says Mistral Delay Affects Future Military Cooperation -- Sputnik

Russian order of French ships was a display of trust on the Russian side, a gesture that even in the most important and complicated issues of security Moscow is willing to rely on its partners, Russian envoy to NATO said.

BRUSSELS, December 3 (Sputnik) — France's hesitancy to make good on its promised delivery of the two Mistral-class helicopter carriers to Russia have influenced Moscow's attitude towards military cooperation with its foreign partners, Russia's envoy to NATO, Alexander Grushko, said Wednesday.

"Of course the situation around the Mistral-class ships could not help but influence our attitude towards the possible cooperation with our partners in the military sphere," Grushko told journalists, reminding that Moscow has set a course for import substitution.

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More News On The Delay Of The French Mistral Carrier To Russia

Mistral problem to have impact on military cooperation -- ITAR-TASS
Delay in ‘Mistral’ deliveries causing France ‘significant cost’ - reports -- RT
Moscow demands the delivery of helicopter carriers from French navy -- CCTV
Future Mistral Crew to Stay in France Until Warship Handed Over to Russia -- Sputnik
Moscow hopes Paris will deliver Mistral ships -- Russia Beyond The Headlines
Lavrov: Controversy Around Mistral Deal Is France's Responsibility -- Sputnik
Russia doesn't rule out suing France over failed Mistral delivery -- ITAR-TASS

My Comment: Some people are having fun .... 'Buy the set!': Mistral warships go 'on sale' in Russian & French spoof ads (RT).

France Postpones Mistral Delivery To Russia

France Postpones Mistral Delivery To Russia Over Ukraine 'Until Further Notice' -- RT

President Francois Hollande has decided to suspend delivery of the first Mistral-class ship to Russia "until further notice," citing the situation in Ukraine as the reason, media reported an Elysee Palace statement.

"The President of the Republic believes that the current situation in the east of Ukraine still does not allow the transfer of the first Russian Mistral-type ships to Russia," a statement from the Elysée Palace said.

In this regard, Francois Hollande felt it necessary to postpone the new order to study the request for permission to supply Russia with the first Mistral vessel, the communique informed.

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More News On France Postponing Its Mistral Delivery To Russia

France delays delivery of Mistral warship to Russia -- France 24
Russia Mistral: France halts delivery indefinitely -- BBC
France suspends warships deal with Russia over Ukraine crisis -- The Guardian
France delays sending two new aircraft carriers to Russia 'until further notice' after Hollande says situation in Ukraine 'does not allow for delivery' -- Daily Mail
France suspending planned warship delivery to Russia over Ukraine -- Irish Times
France postpones warship delivery to Russia 'until further notice' -- Deutsche Welle
France postpones decision on delivery of Mistral carriers -- Reuters
France Postpones Warship Sale to Russia, Citing Ukraine Conflict -- NYT
Russia says it will 'wait patiently' as France suspends Mistral warship sale -- CSM
France Suspends Warship Delivery to Russia -- VOA
France freezes warship delivery to Russia, citing Ukraine conflict -- L.A. Times
France Suspends Mistral Warship Delivery to Russia -- Defense News
Hollande: first Mistral delivery to Russia impossible due to Ukraine situation -- ITAR-TASS

Russia Gives France Until End Of November To Deliver Mistral Warship

Russia Gives France A Final Deadline To Hand Over The Mistral Warship -- Business Insider

Russia has given France until the end of November to deliver the first of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers currently stuck in a shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, according to reports.

The ship, the Vladivostok, was scheduled to be delivered on Friday, but that deadline is now certain to be missed. In response a senior Russian source told the state-owned news service Sputnik International that the French side had until the end of the month to hand over the ship or the whole deal could be in jeopardy.

"We are preparing for different variations. We'll wait until the end of the month, and then we'll make serious claims," the source told Sputnik.

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More News On The Russia - France Mistral Warship Deal

Moscow gives France until end of November to deliver warship -- AFP
Russia warns France of ‘serious’ consequences for carrier denial: report -- Washington Times
Russia to Seek $3 Billion in Fines from France over Mistral Carriers -- MINA
Russia prepared for any outcome of Mistral affair in relations with France — source -- ITAR-TASS
France Says Mistral Ship Won't Be Delivered To Russia; There Will Be No Handover -- IBTimes
France comes under US pressure over delivery of Mistral ships to Russia — French official -- ITAR-TASS
Moscow to seek damages if Mistral ship not delivered by end Nov - source -- RT
France hits back after Russia warns of Mistral compensation -- Reuters
‘Outraged’ French union urges Hollande to honor Mistral deal, 2,500 jobs at stake -- RT
No one else will buy Mistral that France built for Russia -- RT

France Facing Costly Financial Penalties For It's Decision To Suspend Delivery Of A Mistral Naval Assault Ship To Russia

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

France Suspends Delivery Of Mistral Navy Assault Ship To Russia

The Mistral-class helicopter carrier (Reuters/Stephane Mahe)

France Halts Warship Delivery To Russia -- BBC

France has said conditions are "not right" for delivery of the first of two Mistral navy assault ships to Russia.

President Francois Hollande's office blamed Moscow's recent actions in Ukraine.

France had until now resisted pressure to halt the delivery.

It had said it needed to respect an existing contract, to which EU sanctions could not apply retroactively, and that it would have been too costly to cancel.

The Vladivostok, the first of the two helicopter carriers, was expected to have been delivered to Russia by late October.

The second, the Sevastopol, was to have been sent next year, although no mention of it was made in Mr Hollande's statement.

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More News On France Suspending Delivery Of Mistral Navy Assault Ship To Russia

France suspends delivery of warship to Russia -- AP
France says cannot deliver first helicopter carrier to Russia -- Reuters
France Postpones Delivery of Warship to Russia -- NYT
France backs off sending Mistral warship to Russia in $1.7 billion deal -- Washington Post
Hollande Suspends Warship Delivery to Russia Before NATO -- Bloomberg
France halts delivery of warship to Russia -- The Guardian
France changes tack on Mistral warship delivery to Russia -- Deutsche Welle
France says it cannot deliver Mistral warship to Russia over Ukraine -- RT
France Puts Off Delivery of First Mistral-Class Helicopter Carrier to Russia -- RIA Novosti

My Comment: This is a quick and major shift for the French .... especially since they said yesterday that everything was still a go for the French - Russian Mistral deal.