[andyt]

War would definitely suck. But short of that, I wonder if Putin has done the West a favor, giving it a reason to stick together more with the bad guy hovering at the border. (People have made that case). Could also be good for our gas and oil industry.

[saturn_656]

French say Mistral class amphibious assault ships being built for Russia are "civilian hulls".

http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2014/03/ ... th-russia/

*sigh* Fucking France...

[Jabberwalker]

saturn_656 saturn_656:

French say Mistral class amphibious assault ships being built for Russia are "civilian hulls".

http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2014/03/ ... th-russia/

*sigh* Fucking France...

... and that big, white sheet flapping over the quarterdeck is a "sail" not a French Navy ensign. You can always tell which ones are French war ships ... the ones with the guns always pointed aft.

[Gunnair]

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

saturn_656 saturn_656:

French say Mistral class amphibious assault ships being built for Russia are "civilian hulls".

http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2014/03/ ... th-russia/

*sigh* Fucking France...

... and that big, white sheet flapping over the quarterdeck is a "sail" not a French Navy ensign. You can always tell which ones are French war ships ... the ones with the guns always pointed aft.

We ought to keep In mind, for all of this Canadian bravado, that the French Navy could easily sort us out with a bag of shackles.

A cursory comparison of naval assets suggests who takes defence seriously.

[ShepherdsDog]

....but.....but we got the Merikuns to take care of us, so why should we spend money on our own national defence?

[Gunnair]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

....but.....but we got the Merikuns to take care of us, so why should we spend money on our own national defence?

Yeah. But we can sure chuck the shit thanks to those US CVNs to the south.

[saturn_656]

The first Mistral for Russia is to be delivered this year. The French want to be able to deliver both of them (giving Russia a significant boost in power projection, great) in spite of a potential military embargo.

Who do they think they're fooling?

[Gunnair]

saturn_656 saturn_656:

The first Mistral for Russia is to be delivered this year. The French want to be able to deliver both of them (giving Russia a significant boost in power projection, great) in spite of a potential military embargo.

Who do they think they're fooling?

Well, it's a little premature to say that that plan is still a guarantee. That being said, if no one is willing to do do anything, why should France take the economic hit?

[ShepherdsDog]

Wonder if they`ll put a President in the Baltic

[saturn_656]

Gunnair Gunnair:

if no one is willing to do do anything, why should France take the economic hit?

Maybe because it's the right thing to do. That's probably asking too much of them. France was always a "fair weather" member of NATO.

If Canada was exporting military equipment to Russia I'd want it stopped as well.

Economic hit be damned.

[Gunnair]

saturn_656 saturn_656:

Gunnair Gunnair:

if no one is willing to do do anything, why should France take the economic hit?

Maybe because it's the right thing to do. That's probably asking too much of them. France was always a "fair weather" member of NATO.

If Canada was exporting military equipment to Russia I'd want it stopped as well.

Economic hit be damned.

Canada is as fair weather as they come with it's commitment to military spending. We're hardly in a position to lecture.

[xerxes]

saturn_656 saturn_656:

The first Mistral for Russia is to be delivered this year. The French want to be able to deliver both of them (giving Russia a significant boost in power projection, great) in spite of a potential military embargo.

Who do they think they're fooling?

$1:

France Offers to Halt Russian Ship Sale if UK Hits Oligarchs

France says it could suspend its controversial deal to sell helicopter assault ships to Russia if more sanctions are adopted against Moscow over Ukraine – but only if Britain also takes action against Russian oligarchs in London.

Laurent Fabius, foreign minister, said halting the €1.2bn contract to supply two Mistral-class helicopter carriers was envisaged as part of a potential "third level" of sanctions if Russia did not respond to sanctions imposed by the EU and the US on Monday on a number of leading Russian and Ukrainian individuals.

But he stressed such a step would only be taken "in the framework of general sanctions imposed by all countries". He singled out Britain, saying it must do "the equivalent with the assets of Russian oligarchs in London".

He said he had made this clear to William Hague, his British counterpart, at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday.

"What is envisaged is the suspension of these contracts," Mr Fabius said in an interview on Europe 1 radio on Tuesday. "It's very complicated. On the one hand one can't envisage supplying [Russia] indefinitely considering its behaviour. On the other hand there is the reality of jobs and the economy."

He added: "We are doing everything to ensure [the suspension] will not be necessary."

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/natosource/france-offers-to-halt-russian-ship-sale-if-uk-hits-oligarchs

Mind you, that's a big if.

[saturn_656]

France kicked us (along with the rest of NATO) out of the country during the Cold War.

I don't think our measly defence spending compares to an asshat move like that.

[andyt]

Sort of a new version of "The capitalists will sell us the rope with which we hang them." Everybody is talking tough while playing after you Alphonse as far as actually taking steps the bite.

[Gunnair]

saturn_656 saturn_656:

France kicked us (along with the rest of NATO) out of the country during the Cold War.

I don't think our measly defence spending compares to an asshat move like that.

I do. We've been content to ride the coat tails of our WW2 efforts and the US's defence spending for six decades now while we talk big.

Middle power my ass.