Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee

From AFP:  A top US lawmaker on Friday blasted France for agreeing to sell two warships to Russia saying Paris had ignored "the clear danger" the deal would pose to US and regional security.

Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, denounced the deal under which France will transfer sensitive military technology to Russia for the first time since World War II.

"It is deeply troubling that France, a NATO ally, has decided to ignore the clear danger of selling advanced warships to Russia even as Moscow is taking an increasingly hostile approach toward the US, its neighbors, and Europe itself," she said in a statement.

"Many of our allies in the region, such as Georgia and the Baltic states, have experienced cyber attacks, severe economic pressure, and even invasion by Russia," she added.  (photo: Mandel Nga/AFP)