From the AP: France has agreed to sell Russia an advanced amphibious warship and is considering a Russian request for three more, French defense officials said Monday. It would be the first major arms deal between Russia and a NATO member.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy approved the sale of one of the Mistral-class force projection and command vessels after months of discussions. Since then, Russian naval officials requested three more, said Jacques de Lajugie, head of international development at the French arms agency DGA.

“We are in the process of examining” the request for more ships, de Lajugie told a news conference, predicting a decision in the coming weeks. He said the new request came not at the “political level” but from the Russian navy. (photo: Reuters)