Putin Accuses US of 'Blackmailing' France Out of Warship Sale

President Vladimir Putin accused the United States on Tuesday of using fines against French banks to “blackmail” Paris into calling off its sale of Mistral warships to Russia as punishment for Moscow's role in the conflict in Ukraine. U.S. authorities imposed a record fine of almost $9 billion against French bank BNP Paribas, which pleaded guilty on Tuesday to criminal charges following accusations that it had violated U.S. sanctions against Sudan, Cuba and Iran. “We know about the...

© La Voix de l'Amérique - mardi 1^er juillet 2014