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French FM stated that the US-UK-Australia defense agreement is a “stabbing in the back” because he compares Biden and Trump.
France accused US President Joe Biden of acting like his predecessor Donald Trump after a lucrative defense agreement signed with Australia was shelved in Paris.
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian’s comments on Thursday were made the day after the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia Announce They will establish a security partnership for the Indo-Pacific region and help Australia acquire US nuclear-powered submarines.
The agreement, known as Aukus, is believed to be aimed at countering China, although the three leaders did not explicitly mention Beijing in their speeches when they revealed the move on Wednesday.
Aukus means that Australia’s multi-billion dollar contract to purchase French diesel-powered submarines signed in 2016 will now be abandoned.
Le Drian said he was “angry and bitter” about the move, criticizing the move as a violation of trust.
“This cruel, unilateral and unpredictable decision reminds me of many things Mr. Trump has done in the past,” he told Franceinfo Radio. “This is not done between allies.”
‘stab in the back’
Two weeks ago, the Minister of Defence and Foreign Affairs of Australia reiterated to Paris the 2016 deal with the French shipbuilder Naval Group to replace the Collins submarine that has been more than two years old in France.
French President Emmanuel Macron also praised the cooperation for decades to come when he received Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in June.
“This is the thorn behind it. We have established a relationship of trust with Australia, but this trust has broken down,” Le Drian said.
When asked whether Paris was “deceived” by Washington for what Le Drian once called the “Contract of the Century” for the French naval shipyard, the minister replied: “Your analysis of the situation is more or less correct. .
“We need to clarify. We have a contract-Australians need to tell us how they plan to get out of the contract,” he said.
London Defends Agreement
But the British Defense Minister Ben Wallace supports the new submarine agreement, saying that it does not represent a strategic difference between London and Paris.
“Australians have made the decision they want to change,” he told the BBC on Thursday.
“We did not go fishing, but as close allies, we will certainly consider when Australians approach us. I understand that France is frustrated by this.”
During Trump’s presidency, relations between Paris and Washington have deteriorated, and diplomats have stated that in recent months there have been concerns that Biden will be uncandid with his European allies.
The transaction with Australia may further exacerbate tensions in transatlantic relations.
It was born under the background of increasing attention from Western countries to China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region, and France also has interests in the region, including overseas territories.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Thursday accused the US, Australia and Britain of the agreement of “seriously undermining regional peace and stability, intensifying the arms race, and undermining international nuclear non-proliferation efforts.”
“The Chinese side will pay close attention to developments,” he said at a regular briefing in Beijing.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried to downplay China’s concerns on Thursday.
Johnson told Parliament that the move was part of a new defense alliance between Britain, Australia and the United States and was “unintentionally hostile.”
He said that this “will help maintain peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region”, adding that the agreement reflects “our close relationship with the United States and Australia, the common values we share and the absolute level of trust.”
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