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France suspends most military cooperation with Russia

France is suspending the majority of its military cooperation with Russia amid the ongoing turmoil in Ukraine, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Friday during a trip to Baltic states. 

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian
French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian AFP PHOTO/Paul J. Richards
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A source close to the minister told Agence France Presse (AFP) that "contacts between the chiefs of staff of France and Russia have been annulled."

A suspension on military cooperation would include ceasing personnel visits and joint military exercises, including an upcoming one that was scheduled for April, said Le Drian during his visit to the Estonian capital Tallinn, and comes one day after France pushed back the sale of two high-tech Mistral warships to Russia

France is also offering to send four fighter jets to Lithuania to assist NATO air patrols, if requested, over the region as the East-West tug-of-war intensifies in the aftermath of Russia's seizure of Ukraine's Crimea region.

The United States, which is in charge of the patrols until May, and Britain have already provided such support.

France's announcement also came at the same time as a German economy ministry spokesperson said Berlin had decided to suspend approval on all defense-related exports to Russia.

NATO has operated the "police the skies" mission over the Baltic states since 2004 and every four months a different NATO member country is in charge of supplying planes.

Le Drian will also visit fellow NATO members Lithuania and neighbouring Poland on Friday, as European Union leaders issued a fresh list of sanctions against high-level Moscow officials.

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