France’s Sale of 2 Ships to Russians Is Ill-Advised, U.S. Warns

NY Times ^ | May 14, 2014 | Michael Gordon

[shepardspie33]

In a closed-door meeting in February 2010, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates urged his French counterpart not to proceed with the sale of two amphibious assault ships to Russia because it “would send the wrong message to Russia and to our allies in Central and East Europe.”

The French official, Hervé Morin, acknowledged that each of the ships — so-called Mistral-class vessels built for the French Navy to carry troops, landing craft, and helicopters — was “indeed a warship for power projection,” according to a confidential diplomatic cable on the meeting, which was made public by WikiLeaks. But Mr. Morin “asked rhetorically how we can tell Russia we desire partnership but then not trust them,” the cable added.

With Russia’s annexation of Crimea and some 40,000 Russian troops deployed near Ukraine, Western officials are no longer putting their trust in Russia’s intentions.

[Da Coyote]

Earth to the MSM...even the French f*rt in our general direction.

NOBODY respects or cares about the Obamadork and his clueless minions.

Remember that Upperclass Twit of the Year contest on Monty Python? In truty, their film crew had a time machine and those shots were taken on the White House lawn last year.

[dfwgator]

France is a sovereign country.

[McGruff]

I Unfriend You then

[AU72]

France's answer:

Me mordre (Bite me)

[shepardspie33]

that made me laugh

[allendale]

Anything for a buck. Underscores that the EU would never impose sanctions that would harm themselves economically.

[allendale]

So much for the rumor that those ships were going to be used by a French/British/ German combined force to retake the Crimea. LOL.

[cripplecreek]

Underscores that the EU would never impose sanctions that would harm themselves economically.

Unfortunately our resident seems intent on harming you and I. The fact that Hunter Biden was just named director of the largest Ukrainian gas company tells me he doesn't intend for that harm to come to his cronies.

[pierrem15]

There's a simple solution: divide the price of the ships by the weighted GDP proportion of each NATO member and buy the ships from the French.

The same should be done with the costs of tougher sanctions on Russia: there's no reason the Brits should bear the cost of financial sanctions alone.

We have an alliance structure, it's just that Odumbo has no interest in making it work.

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

It is truly a sad state of affairs when even the French laugh in the face of the current administration’s attempts to hold sway on the international stage.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The Frenchies have always been thus...

[Forward the Light Brigade]

France is in it for France—they do not care a fig for the US or Ukraine. Its all about what’s in it for France. Always has been that way. America needs to start thinking like this. Our adventures in Kiev have cost us—and out stupit Globalist Thinking (Re-set Buttons—scraping our mannned space program—depending on Russia to go to the ISS). The 19th Century is alive and well—we need to start building our cavalry, our navy and become able to feed and build for ourselves.