On a trip to France, Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev, started formal talks on the sale of up to four Mistral-class warships, while France's GDF Suez gained a 9% stake in the Nord Stream pipeline.

ECONOMIST: Energy security in Europe

The Saint-Nazaire shipyard, which builds the Mistral class, is in trouble.

ECONOMIST: French arms sales to Russia: The cruel sea | The