France is suspending delivery of the first of two Mistral-class helicopter carrier warships to Russia, halting what was the largest sale of arms from a NATO nation to Moscow.  President Francois Hollande is blaming the unrest in eastern Ukraine, which NATO and the West is the product of Russian meddling and support of rebel groups against Kiev.

Hollande released a statement saying that the “current situation in eastern Ukraine still does not allow for the delivery of the first” warship.  Russia says it will stick to the terms of the contract and expects France to do the same, although it won’t pursue legal action immediately. 

Under the contract signed during the Nicolas Sarkozy presidency in 2011, the “Vladivostok” ship was to have been handed over this month.  The second, the “Sevastopol”, is still due for delivery late next year.  Each ship Mistral-class ship is 21,300 tones and can carry up to 16 helicopters and a third of a mechanized regiment. 

France has been in no hurry to break the deal because of the huge legal cost of breaching the contract.  But European leaders put pressure on Paris, saying that Russia could use those ships to menace its neighbors.