France will go ahead with the supply of a helicopter assault ship to Russia later this year but the delivery of a second vessel under the controversial €1.2bn contract will depend on Moscow’s attitude to the conflict in Ukraine, President Francois Hollande said.
It was his first public reaction to pressure from the US and other Nato allies to at least suspend the contract since the downing of the Malaysia airlines jet with almost 300 people aboard last week.
British prime minister David Cameron said on Monday it was unimaginable that the UK would go ahead with such a contract. The issue is likely to be raised at a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday of European Union foreign ministers to discuss further sanctions against Moscow.