President Francois Hollande blamed continuing unrest in eastern Ukraine, where Russia is accused of backing separatists in their fight against the government in Kiev.

 

The Vladivostok warship¹ was due to be handed over last month as part of a two-ship deal.

 

Russia says it will stick to the terms of the contract.

 

Under the agreement, signed during Nicolas Sarkozy's presidency² in 2011, Russia ordered two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships in a contract worth $1.2bn euros ($1.6bn; £0.95bn). 

 

The first ship, the Vladivostok, was to be handed over in mid-November; the second, the Sevastopol, is due for delivery late next year.

 

France eventually halted the delivery of the first ship in September, under pressure from its Western allies, saying the conditions were "not right". 

 

European Union leaders had warned the ship could be used to threaten its neighbours. The 21,300-tonne Mistral-class ship can carry up to 16 helicopters and a third of a mechanised regiment³.

 

Since March, the EU and US have been imposing⁴ sanctions on Russian individuals and companies because of the annexation⁵ of the Crimean peninsula and the subsequent outbreak of conflict in Ukraine's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

 

However, France had been reluctant to put the deal on ice because of the legal cost of breaching⁶ the contract.

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