Australia disagrees with France and decides to buy nuclear submarines from the United States

“I believe thate they had every reason to know that we had deep and serious reservations about the fact that the capabilities of the submarine (offered by France) did not meet our strategic interests. and we made it clear that we would make a decision based on our national strategic interest, ”Morrison said at a press conference in Sydney.

France furious at Australia’s decision to pull out of A $ 90 billion deal ($ 65,000 million, € 56,000 million) purchase of French submarines for the benefit of American nuclear-powered ships.

read more: Australia to create nuclear submarine fleet

French President, Emmanuel Macron, will have a call with the US president. Joe Biden, in the next few days due to the diplomatic crisis between the two allies. French spokesman Gabriel Attal said that France will ask for “clarification” on the cancellation by Australia of the order for submarines in favor of a trilateral agreement with the United States and Great Britain.

French government he called his ambassadors in Canberra and Washington for consultations, and accused Australia and the United States of lying on breach of contract, while He spoke of a “serious crisis” between allies. Russia and China have made no secret of their enthusiasm for this crisis of confidence between their adversaries. They didn’t do it officially, of course, but through the media that respond to their respective governments. “Never trust the Americans: Europe feels cheated, humiliated and betrayed”, headlines a column in Russian Pravda.

The Australian Prime Minister said he understood the “disappointment” of the French government, but said he raised issues with the deal “a few months ago”, as did other ministers in the UK. Australian government.

Morrison said it would have been “remiss” to go ahead with the contract even though Australian intelligence and defense services had warned him that this would run counter to the country’s strategic interests. The need to switch from limited range submarines, such as the French conventionally powered, to submarines such as those supplied by the US Navy, which with their nuclear engine have unlimited autonomy, is vital to play a role in the face to the advance of China. in what is called “the Indo-Pacific”. In this vast ocean region, China on one side, and the United States, India, Australia, Japan and South Korea on the other, are playing their chips.

“I do not regret the decision to put Australia’s national interest first. I will never regret it,” said the Prime Minister of Australia. For his part, Defense Minister Peter Dutton said his government had been “frank, open and honest” with France about its concerns about the deal, which was over budget and years overdue. Dutton said he personally expressed these concerns to his French counterpart, Florence Parly.

According to Dutton, Canberra was unable to purchase French nuclear powered submarines due to the need for maintenance every ten years, which includes nuclear refueling, which is not the case with US submarines. American technologies are ahead of the French in this strategic area. France has a fleet of nuclear submarines, but it sells on the international market conventional propulsion submarines of the “Scorpene” class, which have been very well received. They were bought by Chile, Malaysia, Brazil and India.

The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom announced last Wednesday a strategic partnership to counter China, dubbed AUKUS, What includes the supply of 12 US nuclear submarinesra Canberra, putting the French out of the game.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said it was a “serious crisis”. “There were lies, duplicity, a great breach of trust” and “outrage” on the part of France’s allies, he said.

The reconfiguration of NATO

The minister made the remarks a day later President Emmanuel Macron to summon ambassadors to Canberra and Washington for consultations in unprecedented act which shows France’s anger at the cancellation of the submarine contract. Cancellation it is a blow to the French economy, which is already in difficulty. The French Minister of Foreign Affairs also considered that This crisis will influence the definition of NATO’s new strategic concept, not to mention a departure from the Atlantic Alliance.

“Otán has initiated a reflection, at the request of the President of the Republic, on its foundations. There will be at the next NATO summit in Madrid the conclusion of the new strategic concept. Sure, what just happened will have to do with this definitionsaid Le Drian. Europe acquires its strategic compass and this will be the responsibility of France in the first half of 2022 “, he added, with reference to the French presidency of the European Union on January 1.

Beyond France’s malaise, NATO faces increasing military pressure from Russia, his old enemy. Under Vladimir Putin, Russia militarily invaded Georgia (2008), and more recently three provinces of Ukraine (2014), by officially annexing one of them, Crimea. Besides pressures with a strong military presence and threatening statements against the three Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) and even on Sweden, which is not a member of NATO but is studying to join it in the face of the threat posed by Russia. Something similar is happening with Finaldia.

Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, noted that the French dispute will have no impact on “military cooperation” of the Alliance. For its part, The United States hopes to settle its dispute with France this week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. in New York, according to Ned Price, spokesperson for the US State Department.