French Defense Ministry Not Ready to Comment on Russia’s Mistral Inquiry

Moscow has required Paris' written explanation regarding its failure to fulfill the Mistral deal. Paris has not provided any reply yet.

PARIS, January 13 (Sputnik) – The French Defense Ministry is currently not ready to comment on Russia's inquiry about why two Mistral helicopter carriers have not yet been delivered to Russia, a source at the ministry told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.

"At the moment, we have no information pertaining to the inquiry. There may be some information later," the source said.

Earlier in the day, a high-ranking official from the Russian Defense Ministry's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation told RIA Novosti that Moscow has sent an official inquiry concerning the reasons of the Mistral non-delivery.

The Military-Technical Cooperation group official stated that to proceed with the issue, either by taking the case to court or giving France more time, Moscow requires a written explanation of the current situation.

In 2011, the two countries signed a deal worth $1.5 billion for the delivery of two Mistral carriers. The first carrier, named the Vladivostok, was expected in November 2014. French President Francois Hollande suspended delivery, citing Russia's alleged role in the Ukrainian crisis.

In early January, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France would deliver the Mistral ships to Russia once a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine was observed and a political roadmap for a permanent settlement to the conflict was implemented.

Moscow has denied its involvement in the Ukrainian crisis and warned Paris of large penalties should France fail to deliver on its contractual obligations.