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@@@ The idea that the European Union should acquire two French helicopter-carrying assault ships, rather than let France deliver the warships already sold to Russia, is becoming a stronger possibility as Western nations have banned future arms sales to Russia and restricted business with its energy and financial sectors, analysts said. 鈥淚t is being discussed in Paris as <a href=http://www.buycelinebags.com>Celine Bags Outlet Store</a> an option,鈥?Edouard T茅treau, head of the Paris office of think tank European Council on Foreign Relations,聽. 鈥淚t is gaining traction in Paris. There are diplomats and politicians in Paris who see that as a possibility.鈥? T茅treau told Defense News that the EU has ample financial means to buy the contract. 鈥淎n alternative would be NATO, which has the infrastructure and mandate," he said. If the EU were to make the move it would likely be via the European Defence Agency (EDA), which could put the funds together for any deal. Suspecting Russian involvement with the crashed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine that killed 298 people, the EU and U.S. adopted against Russia last week. The latest round of sanctions cut off Russian state-owned banks from European and American capital markets and ban arms trades and exports of technologies for . , the sanctions would not affect <a href=http://www.buycelinebags.com>Celine UK Online</a> France鈥檚 $1.6 billion contract with Russia, signed in 2011, to deliver the Mistral-class warships. Under the contract, France would deliver the first ship by the end of this year and the second in 2015. French government officials have been looking for a solution that would not harm its shipbuilding industry. The French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, his government would decide in October whether to go through with the ship deliveries. One option gaining interest as a possible French exit from the arms contract with Russia is the EU buying the contract. The German Navy has proposed that Europe buy the Mistral ships because such an acquisition is beyond the means of a single nation, according to Claudia Major and Christian Molling, senior researchers at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. They about the EU acquisition idea, saying Europe 鈥渙ffers the opportunity to solve the French dilemma <a href=http://www.buycelinebags.com>Celine Online Outlet</a> by buying up the Mistral ships and using them for itself.鈥? Jean-Paul Perruche, chairman of the think tank EuroDefense-France, told Defense News that an EU acquisition has 鈥渂een under discussion for the last three months under confidentiality.鈥? Russia has responded to sanctions so far by most imports of fruits and vegetables from Poland, saying it would expand the ban across Europe. Poland had lobbied the EU to tighten sanctions against Russia.