This was bound to have happened. On one
hand, I genuinely believe that France sincerely kept on trying to deliver
mistral ships to Russia. But the enormous and relentless pressure by USA and
France's misfortune of being a part of neo-imperialist group called NATO – a
group which has no reason to justify its existence since the fall of Soviet
Union but whose need for existence is constantly justified by the crises it
creates all around the world and whose role is now morphing into a tool for
neo-imperialism of the west – made France take the decision to, finally, not
deliver the Mistral ships which were already paid for by Russia. Due to
non-delivery of the vessels, France will be repaying back Russia nearly 1.1
billion Euros that Russia had paid as initial payment.
Whatever the brave face or the reason
French President Hollande might put forward regarding the non-delivery of
mistral, it has cemented France's reputation as an unreliable supplier whose
decisions are based on nothing but the whims and diktats of Brussels and
Washington. Hollande might claim high moral ground but French people have
really lost their prestige. No longer the word of a Frenchman – be in Government
or any other sector - will be believed.
Ordinary French people care for independent
decision but their leaders are totally hopeless and slaves to Brussels and
Washington. But that's a price they are paying or have to necessarily pay for
being a vassal state of the USA. It doesn't matter to French leaders that
thousands of jobs will be lost adding to an already dismal unemployment
situation. It doesn't matter that ordinary French people are for maintaining
friendly relations with Russia. What matters to French leaders is what can be
done to please Washington. Pretty disgraceful.
The concept of sovereignty has gone out the window.
|
France plans to pay back costs for the
Mistral helicopter carriers ordered by Russia if they are not delivered,
returning €800 million and paying compensation for other expenses totaling
€300 million, French media reports citing government sources.
…..
Earlier this week French President
Francois Hollande agreed that the funds should be returned to Russia if it
doesn’t receive the ships. However, he added that currently it’s impossible to
deliver them to Russia because of the situation in Ukraine.
|
Mistral Ship
The fallout of mistral affairs seems to
have percolated to Rafale deal as well. Whether French Government recognizes
this fact or not, the astute commentators from France seem to have recognized
the true impact of the Mistral fiasco: the loss of international prestige.
The biggest factor that seems to have
motivated Modi government to negotiate reduced number of aircrafts and that too
in a fly-away condition is this: if France can renege on the signed and paid
for contract by citing some flimsy excuse of “non-existent” Russian aggression
in Ukraine, then what is the guarantee that the same tactic of citing or
inventing some flimsy excuse will not be used against India? By negotiating reduced number of aircrafts
in fly-away condition, Modi government has closed the Rafale chapter for good
but also seems to have indirectly telegraphed to the French Government - “you
are untrustworthy”.
India has now decided to get more T-50 PAKFA
stealth fighters from India's most trusted and reliable ally – Russia.
(Please read the following whole article by
clicking on the link)
|
…...
Daily of the Breton State, April 14, 2015
Translated from French by Tom Winter
India's Congress Party government had
ordered 126 French Rafales; the new government will only take 36 of them, and
has switched the bulk of the order to Russia...
India has essentially annulled it
gigantic arms contract with France for the purchase and combined construction
of 126 Rafale fighter planes; the Indian Prime Minister agreed to buy only 36 of them during his visit to Paris last
week, a responsible government source stated. Instead, India will buy 127
fifth generation Russian fighter jets.
It is part of the direct fall-out from
the socialist French government’s anti-Russian policy, aligned with
Washington. Obedient to the US, the Le Drian/Hollande tandem chose not to
turn over the Mistral ships to Russia. This about-face on the part of India
constitutes a major triumph for Vladimir Putin. Moscow’s revenge against
France will cost Paris 20 billion Euros.
…..
Consequences
connected to the delivery of the Mistral
The
socialist government is paying for its alignment with American diplomacy on
the delivery of the Mistral. India, now governed by Hindu Nationalists, has,
in effect engaged in a movement of conciliation with China, leaning toward
Russia, and disappointing American expectations about any anti-Russian,
anti-China axis.
In
this new viewpoint ordering French Rafales is going to depend on regular
delivery of parts made in France, and also on periodic upgrades that the
planes will need, in armament and navigation gear and the like. But given
the refusal of France to turn over the Mistral to Russia, India fears finding
itself up against US pressure on France to limit such deliveries, or to
deliver parts not at front-line level. In sum, the faith and credit in France
as arms supplier is largely diminished, and the Indian government has no
desire to risk its strategic independence.
…...
|
Lesson learned not just by India but by
other countries as well is that it is hazardous to strike military weapons
deals or do business with any nation of Washington-led bloc if you are not a
member of that bloc, for one may not know when sanctions or some other spurious
punishment will be dealt by Washington and its cronies - hell-bent on
maintaining US-UK Anglo-hegemony - to make other nations behave according to
their wishes.
Mistral Saga – a Lesson well learned.
Indeed.
