French President Francois Hollande said Wednesday that France will reimburse Moscow for a billion-dollar warships deal if a logjam over the prolonged conflict in the Ukraine isn't resolved, according to dpa. "According to different hypotheses, there will be a payment or a reiumbursement," Hollande said during a press conference alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko. "We will discuss all the scenarios, and for the moment I will say that a delivery of the Mistral is not possible." French state-owned naval shipbuilder DCNS has a contract for two 22,000-tonne Mistral-class warships ordered by Russia in 2010 for a price of 1.2 billion euros (1.29 billion dollars). France was expected to deliver the first warship to Russia in October or November. It suspended the deal because of Russia's backing for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. The Mistral-class warships are helicopter carriers designed to transport military helicopters and tanks. Hollande and Russian President Vladimir Putin are slated to meet on Friday in Armenia. The French leader said over the weekend that the deal could still be salvaged.
