Australia admitted to having “deep and serious reservations” on French submarines

A new chapter was added this Sunday to the emerging international conflict which has France on one side and Australia on the other, the United States and Great Britain, which have formed a trilateral defense pact, in as part of a virtual arms race which would have China’s adversary as its main objective.

The new treaty, among other things, changed the oceanic country’s decision to acquire conventional submarines of French origin, which will be replaced by nuclear ships provided by your new allies.

In this context, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison acknowledged this Sunday that his government doubted the effectiveness of French submarines, even before breaking the purchase contract.

“I think they had every reason to know that we had deep and serious reservations on the fact that the capabilities of the Attack-class submarine did not meet our strategic interests and we made it clear that we would make a decision based on our national strategic interest, ”he said in a statement. press conference in Sydney.

At the same time, Morrison said he understood the “disappointment” of the French government, but stressed that he had raised problems with the agreement “a few months ago”, as did other ministers in the Australian government.

He further noted that it would have been “negligent” to go ahead with the contract, despite the fact that the Australian intelligence and defense services had warned him that it would go against the strategic interests of the country. “I don’t regret the decision to put Australia’s national interest first. I will never regret it,” he said.

In the same vein, Defense Minister Peter Dutto showed up. Speaking to Sky News Australia, he said his government had been “outspoken, open and honest” with France about its concerns over the deal, which was over budget and years behind schedule.

France’s wrath

In France, they did not hide their discomfort in the face of this situation. Indeed, its chancellor, Jean Yves Le Drian, announced on Friday an immediate call for “consultations” to his ambassadors in Washington and Canberra. He also accused Australia and the United States of lying about the breach of the contract, while talking about “serious crisis” between allies.

He also considered it a “betrayal” and condemned the White House for surprise. He described the situation “as an agreement negotiated in secret for leave France outside the region“And favor an” Anglo-Saxon axis “to face China.

The negotiations for the submarines had been developed under the government of François Hollande between 2014 and 2016, by the Minister of Defense at the time, Le Drian.

Australia has withdrawn the agreement of 90 billion Australian dollars (65 billion dollars, 56 billion euros) for the purchase of French submarines, in favor of nuclear-powered ships, the acquisition of which will be facilitated by the agreement called the AUKUS agreement (for partners).

As they believe in this ocean country, nuclear powered submarines stay underwater longer, move faster, and are considered nearly “impossible to discover” by naval experts.

The defense of the United Kingdom

New British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Sunday defended the deal with the United States and Australia, saying it demonstrated her country’s commitment to stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

In an article published today in the Sunday newspaper “The Sunday Telegraph”, Truss did not refer specifically to France but underlined the speed of his country to be decisive in the defense of its interests.

“Freedoms must be defended, so we are also building strong security links around the world, ”said Truss, who was appointed to his post last Wednesday.

Truss, former head of international trade, stressed the importance of “building coalitions” based on “shared values ​​and interests” and noted that the pact will contribute to the security of the UK.

The new alliance

In a joint statement, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Australia Morrison said Thursday evening that they were seeking to build on “the experience of the United States and the United Kingdom”, in s ‘Supporting “the two countries’ submarine programs”, with the aim of “bringing Australian capability into service as soon as possible”.

The pact came as antagonism between the United States and China deepened, with Biden seeking to drag the allies into a firmer position at the NATO meeting in June. In fact, the secret talks with Australia, the United States and Great Britain ended there.

This would only create more friction between China, which has invested billions in its navy and is becoming more aggressive in the region, and the West.

With agency information