France sets condition for Russia warships delivery
Iran Press TV
1/1/2015 3:09:19 PM -- France says it will hand over the two Russian-ordered warships only if Moscow effectively contributes to the process of restoring peace and stability to eastern Ukraine.
'There needs to be ... a process of ceasefire that is respected and a political roadmap that would lead to the return of peace and calm,' French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said during a radio interview on Thursday.
'I see that efforts are being made, but as long as they are neither tangible nor verifiable, we cannot make a decision,' he added.
The condition came despite France's earlier commitment to deliver the vessels under a contract with Russia.
Back in November, the French government suspended the military transaction with Russia over Moscow's alleged role in the Ukrainian crisis.
The first warship, the Vladivostok, and the second, the Sevastopol, were due to be handed over to Moscow in November 2014 and next year, respectively.
The West accuses Moscow of supporting pro-Russia forces in east Ukraine, saying the Russian intervention poses a security threat to Ukraine and all other neighboring states. Russia has strongly denied the allegations.
The two mainly Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine have been the scene of deadly clashes between pro-Russia protesters and the Ukrainian army since Kiev's military operation started in mid-April in a bid to crush the protests.
Violence intensified in May after the two flashpoint regions held local referendums in which their residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Ukraine and joining the Russian Federation.
FNR/HMVSS
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