Agreement for submarines: for the EU, the treatment of France was “unacceptable” and Biden seeks to rebuild the relationship with Macron

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, on Monday accused the United States of lack of loyalty after Australia cancels macro contract with France buy American nuclear submarines. In turn, the controversy over the AUSKUS pact has cracked relations between Paris and Washington, For what Joe biden, is “impatient” to speak on the phone with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron,

“The most fundamental principles for allies are transparency and trust and they go hand in hand. We see a glaring lack of transparency and loyalty“Michel told the press at the United Nations, before the General Assembly of the organization.

Europeans, he said, need “Clarify and try to understand what are the intentions behind this advertisement.”

Michel assured that This agreement between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia will strengthen European efforts to build their own defense system. Such a decision “will not be against our allies, but if we are stronger and more robust, it means that our alliances will also be stronger,” he added.

The announcement of the new military alliance between Washington, London and Canberra has become a major diplomatic problem since the EU, ally, he was never informed of what the three countries were negotiating.

Besides, The announcement of this new AUKUS alliance was scheduled for the same day the EU was to present its new strategy for the Indo-Pacific region.

Michel showed some disappointment with Joe Biden, who assumed the US presidency by advocating for stronger alliances after his predecessor’s period of division, Donald Asset.

With Trump, “at least it was clear -the tone, the substance, the language- it is very clear that the European Union was not in his eyes a useful allysaid Michel.

Australia has said it understands France’s disappointment but its conventional submarines are insufficient to maintain the country’s defense. in the decades to come amid growing tensions with China.

France felt betrayed by this alliance. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, accused Australia of “stabbing in the back” and the United States of treason.

The Belgian Chancellor Sophie Wilmes, who is also at the United Nations to participate in the General Assembly, described the agreement as “a bomb first for France but also for Europe. and for the world at the geostrategic level ”.

Europe must be “more vocal” and “Present on the international scene”, noted.

The minister expressed her hope that there will be a common basis of understanding between the EU foreign ministers who are in New York, although some diplomats have assured that France is not asking for a formal declaration of support.

For her part, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, assured CNN that the treatment reserved for France by Australia is “unacceptable” and the case requires further analysis, said this Monday

“One of our Member States has been treated unacceptably. We want to know what happened and why“said Von der Leyen, referring to the cancellation of a multi-million dollar contract for submarines between France and Australia.

The case is so serious that the European foreign ministers who are in New York for the UN General Assembly will devote their meeting in this city to discuss the scope and consequences of the new military alliance and the situation in France.

In the declarations to the network CNN, Von der Leyen added that it will become necessary to clarify what happened “before continuing as if nothing happened”.

France went so far as to summon its ambassadors to the United States and Australia for consultations, a gesture of great gravity in the diplomatic environment, to show the enormous irritation at what happened.

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, is “impatient” to speak on the phone with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, following the tension in relations between the two countries, a senior American official said on Monday. Biden wants to talk to Macron “about the way forward”.

The same time, a meeting scheduled this week between French Defense Minister Florence Parly and her British counterpart Ben Wallace has been canceled at the request of Francea source from the French ministry told AFP.

(With information from AFP)

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