France Looks Weak, ‘Ridiculous’ After Mistral Deal Fail – French Scholar

The cancellation of the Mistral deal failed to bring any political outcomes to France and now the country is in a “ridiculous situation,” said Caroline Galacteros, a French Political Science professor.

Galacteros wrote in her column in French newspaper Le Point:

"The situation with our Mistral ships, for which Russia already paid and which were then unexpectedly taken back from it, citing the situation in Ukraine, is taking a tragicomic turn of event. This makes France look weak and even ridiculous."

According to the scholar, Paris naively thought that by refusing to deliver the two Mistral ships to Russia, France would make Putin regret his alleged actions in Ukraine and give Paris control over Russia.

The failed arms deal isn't only about the economic aspect, but it's most importantly a bad symbolic gesture. Now the entire world knows that France doesn't keep its promises. This might damage French foreign and security policies, Galacteros said.

"What have we achieved in this unfair game?" — asked Galacteros. Even if Russia won't publically humiliate France, Moscow will still despise Paris for being a weakling and Washington's puppet.

In 2011, Russia and France signed the 1.3 billion euros Mistral deal. France was supposed to build and sell two Mistral-class helicopter carriers to Russia — the first of which was due for delivery by the end of 2014. However, the French government backed out of the transaction last fall after the European Union (EU) imposed economic sanctions on Russia over Crimea's reunification with Russia in March 2014.

Russia expected to either have the ships delivered or have its money back. Paris offered to pay back 785 million euros; however Moscow disagrees, insisting that France must pay back 1.2 billion euros.