Russia’s March 17, 2014, annexation of Crimea plunged Russian-Western relations to their lowest level since the Cold War. Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) subsequently imposed sanctions on Russia over its actions toward Ukraine. Notably, a pair of Mistral-class helicopter assault ships being built under a 2010 French contract for the Russian navy were delayed for a year. Under the terms of the contract, the vessels Vladivostok and Sevastopol, designated to join the Pacific Fleet, were to be delivered in November 2014 and November 2015, respectively. On April 22, French President François Hollande commented that if the warships …read more
Source: The Jamestown Foundation