Hollande Threat to Cancel Russia Mistral Warship May Be Empty

French President Francois Hollande said he’s prepared to cancel the sale of the second Mistral warship to Russia. It may be too late for that, a person with knowledge of the contract said.

The construction of the helicopter carrier is nearly complete and it has been mostly paid for, said the person, declining to be identified because details of the contract aren’t public.

Hollande on July 21 held out the threat of a possible cancellation of the warship’s sale if the European Union decides to expand its sanctions against Moscow in light of evidence that Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine shot down a Malaysian airliner last week, killing all 298 people on board.

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