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US senators oppose French warship sale to Russia
Washington (AFP) Dec 22, 2009 Six US senators have warned France against the planned sale of a powerful warship to Russia, saying the move has unsettled NATO allies and Moscow's neighbors and risks upsetting regional stability. "We fear this sale sends Russia the message that France acquiesces to its increasingly bellicose and lawless behavior," the senators, all Republicans, said in a letter dated Friday to French ambassador Pierre Vimont in Washington. The group included senators Jon Kyl, the number two Republican; John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee; Sam Brownback; James Risch; Roger Wicker; and Tom Coburn. The letter, first reported by Foreign Policy magazine on its website, came after members of the US House of Representatives also expressed concerns about the planned sale of a Mistral-class warship to Russia. The vessel is a 21,000-tonne, 200-meter (650-foot) amphibious assault ship that can carry heavy-lift helicopters, landing craft, tanks and up to 900 commandos. It is the second largest ship in the French fleet. The senators underlined a Russian Navy commander's recent statement that the ship would have allowed Russian forces battling Georgia's military in August 2008 to land troops ashore in 40 minutes, against the 26 hours it took them to do so in last year's war. In late November, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said it should be sold to Moscow "with precautions" and that Paris should stand with Georgia. The sale, estimated at 600-750 million dollars, would be the first time a NATO nation has provided such advanced technology to Russia. The senators said two treaties aimed at curbing proliferation of sensitive military hardware ought to halt the sale and underlined that Russia was in violation of the ceasefire accord that ended the war with Georgia. A French embassy official, who requested anonymity, said France would apply its rules on arms sales and would approach the deal "in a spirit of responsibility." "We do not believe that this planned sale poses a threat to NATO," said the official. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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