EU Was ‘Not Informed’ on AUKUS
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The European Commission revealed the 27-nation bloc was not informed of the United States' alliance with Australia and the United Kingdom, assuring that it would not affect its relations with them.
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European Commission spokesman Peter Stano, February 28, 2020
An EU spokesman revealed on Thursday that the European Union was not previously informed of the defense alliance between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
The nations' leaders announced the alliance Wednesday in what was considered a move against China, whose influence has been increasing in the region.
As part of the alliance, the United States and the United Kingdom will help Australia enhance its nuclear capabilities through sharing advanced technologies, which will aid Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. The alliance will also see the three nations sharing their know-how on AI, cyber, and quantum technologies, in addition to underwater and long-range missile capabilities, as per a senior Biden administration official.
The US and UK's submarines toppled a $36.5 billion deal backed personally by French President Emmanuel Macron with Australia on conventional submarines. This led to French pushback of the deal.
A spokesman for the European Commission, Peter Stano, commented on the alliance by saying, "The EU was not informed about this project or about this initiative and we are in contact with the said partners to find out more."
"And we will, of course, have to discuss this within the EU with our member states to assess the implications," he added.
In turn, Dana Spinant, another EU spokesman, stated that the new alliance would have "no impact" on the bloc's relations with the member states.
The EU is looking to strengthen ties in the region, which it considers of "prime strategic importance" for its interests.
Its strategy revealed in April, an increase in the European naval presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
