France Cancels Event Over Failed Submarine Deal
2 Min Read
The French Embassy in Washington canceled a reception it was hosting to mark a military victory 240 years ago.
-
Australia backed out of a deal it had with France's Naval Group..
The French authorities canceled a reception scheduled in Washington after being pushed out of a deal which planned to supply French submarines to Australia, after Australia backed out of the deal on Thursday.
The reception was to be held at the French ambassador in Washington's house, on the anniversary of a decisive naval battle in the American War of Independence, which culminated in the victory of the French fleet over the British fleet on September 5, 1781.
France considered Australia's move a "stab in the back" and that Biden adopted Trumps' strategy by making a sudden decision, after announcing the formation of a strategic alliance between Washington, Canberra, and London, which led to the termination of a contract for Australia to buy French submarines.
“This difficult decision was taken only in response to a rapid evolution of the strategic environment with which Australia is confronted,” a communiqué published by the Australian embassy in France said. “France remains a first-rate strategic partner for Australia."
“This unilateral, brutal, unpredictable decision is a lot like what Mr. Trump did,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on national television Thursday morning. “We learned brutally through a statement by President Biden that the contract that the Australians signed with France is over and the U.S. will make a nuclear [submarines] offer to the Australians.”
On Wednesday evening, Washington announced the formation of a strategic security alliance in the Indo-Pacific region, comprising the United States, Britain, and Australia.
US-British-Australian Relations
Worse than the disregard for elementary diplomatic protocol among close allies, or the loss of a deal so massive it was dubbed the “contract of the century,” the Australian-American-British alliance is a cruel reminder to France that partners and allies still do not perceive it as a credible partner with whom they can build an alternative to the U.S.
The new security treaty, called "Ocos", was formed during a virtual summit hosted by US President Joe Biden at the White House, in which British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Scott Morrison participated via video.
