What Moral Principle?

"Obama should get off our case and concentrate on solving America's problems"
"As for Cameron, he should stop being the voice of his master and obediently repeating everything Obama says. If he wants to be heard in Europe, he should act as if he's part of it."
"The British should have been kicked out of the European Union when they chose not to take the euro like everyone else. And that soft president of ours hasn't got the guts to stand up to anyone."
Name-shy owner of cafe Le Ralliement patronized by shipyard workers

"Hollande is not backing down."
"This is a false debate led by hypocrites ... When you see how many [Russian] oligarchs have sought refuge in London, David Cameron should start by cleaning up his own backyard."
Jean-Christophe Cambdelis, head, France's Socialist party

"I hope that the sale of the Vladivostok will be the start of a sustainable co-operation with Russia."
"It doesn't happen often and helps 7,000 to 8,000 people make a living."
Christophe Morel, STX France shipyard union delegate

And so, no, although members of the European Union, the United States and Canada all pledge their determination to tighten punishing sanctions on Russia for Vladimir Putin's and the Kremlin's brutal interference in Ukraine, destabilizing the country's economy and creating a lethally-engaged ethnic-Russian backlash to Ukraine's push away from the umbrella of the Russian Federation, France will honour the deal it signed in 2011 by then-president Nicolas Sarkozy to build two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships for the Russian navy.

The $1.7-billion contract comes complete with French experts dedicated to aiding Russian military personnel with the ships, to train the Russians in their operation. In Saint-Hazaire where the Vladivostok stands like a stolid iron giant over the dockside, the contact is hugely popular. Roughly 400 Russian sailors have been in the town for the last three months training in the operation of the helicopter carriers he first of which is to be delivered in the fall. Shopkeepers have been eager to learn Russian phrases, aided by the local chamber of commerce.

Few townspeople have any qualms about the contract to build the Vladivostok and the Sevastopol. The latter name resonates just about now, with Russia's villainous annexation of Crimea and its ongoing incitement of ethnic Russians living in eastern Ukraine, who appear to feel that wherever they live there too must Russia reside; they merely intend to deliver Ukrainian territory over to their mother-country.

When the opinionated owner of the cafe standing a few hundred metres from the dock was asked if it was morally justifiable for France to build and sell such sophisticated warships to Russia, particularly after the atrocity of the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, and the dreadful deaths of 298 people, the man executed a mental shrug "If we don't sell ships to them, someone else will." He is not alone in his generously forgiving sloughing off of moral clarity. Although the MH17 disaster was "horrifying and tragic", according to taxi driver Stephane Gohaud, "[The plane] should never have flown over a war zone. I don't believe the Russians wanted it to be shot. It was a horrible mistake."

Two Russian sailors ambling close to the beach with their wives, enjoying a lovely summer Sunday morning, stated their puzzlement over the entire affair. "We did not attack this plane" said Arkady. "There must be an investigation before the Americans can say it was our fault." Investigations are proceeding apace. But a contract, sigh, is a contract. And employment a dire necessity. Morality under these circumstances is a moving target.