Port City of Saint-Nazaire Tired of France's Flip-Flopping on Mistral Deal

Asked to comment on the unexpected turn of events, Blanchard noted that "unfortunately, France has seen turn-after-turn" over the Mistral deal. "Our defense minister had earlier assured the country that the ships would not be delivered to Russia. Then [on Monday] Francois Hollande declared that he would take a few weeks to think about it. The shipyard workers and the people of Saint-Nazaire do not understand these twists. They worry us. The ships were ordered by Russia, Russia paid for them. We are not at war in Russia. Everyone here believes that the ships should be delivered as soon as possible."

Asked whether Hollande's decision may have been a populist calculation, Blanchard noted that he does "not know what Mr. Hollande is thinking, and whether he expects some sign from the US or NATO before making a decision."

As to the ultimate fate of the warships, Blanchard noted that he assumes that "neither Francois Hollande nor his Socialist government really know exactly what will happen to these ships. The range of options is very wide. The shipyard has already spent more than a million in their own funds…I believe that at the moment, Hollande is in a state of utter confusion. We lost contracts with Russia for our farmers because of the boycott, and lost export opportunities. And we do not understand Mr. Hollande's constant vacillation in relation to these Mistrals. For the residents of Saint-Nazaire it is absolutely clear that the contract was signed, paid for, and therefore there is no reason not to fulfill it."

Ultimately, Blanchard does not see any positive prospects with regard to the ships. "Disassembly would be expensive, and we do not see any point in destroying the fruits of the labor of the workers of Saint-Nazaire. The US and Canada initially showed some interest, but have not gone on to confirm it."

Russia and France signed a $1.5 billion contract for the purchase of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers in 2011. In November 2014, France cancelled the contract, citing Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian civil war. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied these claims. Officials have confirmed that France's failure to fulfill the contract with Russia would cost the French economy $1.3 billion in losses.