Under a $1.3-billion deal Russia and France signed in 2011, Paris was supposed to deliver the Vladivostok in November 2014 and the Sevastopol in early 2015. None of the ships arrived to Russia, since the deliveries were put on hold over Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian civil war. Kremlin has repeatedly denied these groundless claims and pushed for peace in the war-torn nation.
Meanwhile, the fate of the two Mistrals built and adapted to meet the specifications provided by the Russian Navy remains in limbo. Last month, French President Francois Hollande said Paris would return the payment for the warships if the contract is terminated.
Several other options are reportedly under consideration – to sink the two Mistrals, to hand them over to the French Navy or to sell them to a third party. The Watch China Times named Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt and India as potential buyers.
Selling Mistrals commissioned by Russia may prove harder than it seems. Last week, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin warned that France could not sell the helicopter carriers without Russia's permission. He added that Paris was fully aware of that.
The other French ship, accompanying the Dixmude on the visit to China, is the Aconit, a La Fayette-class frigate. The French task force arrived at the Wusong naval port on May 9 and will leave on May 15.
