It is an unprecedented decision between these three historic allies: France has recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia. It must be said that Paris has rarely been so angry, and for good reason: Australia which had commanded in 2016 twelve submarines to France, for a total of 56 billion euros, has just preferred the American submarines. The American-Australian partnership is called Aukus. For Paris, Aukus is a betrayal, as much of Canberra as from Washington, and the words of this American official will not appease her anger:
“Good friends have disagreements, explained Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations. But this is the nature of friendship, and because you are friends, you can have disagreements and continue to work on these areas of cooperation. And we will continue to work with our French colleagues on areas of cooperation, and to address any tensions in our relations. But we don’t see these tensions changing the nature of our friendship. “
Canberra chose nuclear submarines, with more autonomy and more discreet than the conventional submarines offered by France. Australia assures us that it was not a change of mind, but a change of needs that made it make this decision. France sees in Joe Biden’s attitude the same policy as in Donald Trump’s time, where “America First” dominates.
The objective of the American-Australian partnership, to which London is also rallying, is to counter the rise of China in the Indo-Pacific region. China is said to have the largest number of submarines and ships in the world.
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