As 400 Russian sailors docked on the French coast Monday to train on a Mistral-class helicopter carrier, analysts agreed that France's sale of warships to Russia against the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis showcases the triumph of economic concerns over the West's seemingly consolidated political stance on Moscow.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
The Moscow Times: Economic interests prevail in France-Russia Mistral warship deal
The Vladivostok warship, a Mistral class LHD amphibious vessel ordered by Russia to the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, western France, leaves for her first trial on March 5, 2014. The Vladivostok warship is one of two navy ships ordered from France by the Russian army and it will take part in a sea trial. AFP PHOTO / FRANK PERRY
