Poland Pressures France over Mistral Deal with Russia - RFI

Poland recommends France to make a wise and responsible decision on the Mistral warships. Otherwise, it may lose lucrative contracts.

Censor.NET reports this citing RFI.

Possible delivery of Mistrals to Russia by France will make it difficult for Warsaw to opt for French missile shields, Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said. "We are critical about this agreement (concerning Mistrals - Ed.). Nobody ever hid this fact from our French partners. I do not want to play the role of the one who determines the conditions for France. I am sure that France will make wise and responsible decision, considering its NATO membership and being aware of other allies' opinions," Semonyak Rzeczpospolita said in an interview published on Monday in the daily Rzeczpospolita.

Poland in June chose the French defense company Thales and its American rival Raytheon as the final two bidders for its new missile shield system worth than 5.8 billion euros.

Poland has earmarked 33.6 billion euros to upgrade its military equipment over a decade, including acquiring the missile shield, armored personnel carriers, submarines and drones

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Amid widespread criticism by NATO, France said earlier in September that it had suspended the delivery of the two Mistral warships worth of 1,2 billion euros to Russia until October.