- Sputnik International, 1920, 21.09.2021
AUKUS
On 15 September, the US, UK, and Australia announced the new trilateral AUKUS defence partnership. While the partners said it's designed to protect and defend "our shared interests in the Indo-Pacific", some experts believe the true purpose of the partnership is to counter China.

Elysee Palace: US Never Mentioned AUKUS and Never Answered France's Questions

© Sputnik / Irina Kalashnikova / Go to the mediabankGuards of honor at the Elysee Palace, Paris
Guards of honor at the Elysee Palace, Paris - Sputnik International, 1920, 20.09.2021
Subscribe
Paris's relations with its American, British and Australian allies took a major hit in the wake of the three countries' 15 September announcement that they would be creating a new trilateral security pact. The agreement led Canberra to cancel a defence deal with Paris worth tens of billions of dollars.
The United States never mentioned any initiative to form a new security alliance and never answered any of France's questions on the matter, the Elysee Palace said Monday.
A spokesperson for the presidential palace indicated that when French President Emmanual Macron met with his Australian counterpart, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrisson in Paris in mid-June, Morrisson did not make any hints that Canberra would be cancelling a lucrative submarine contract with France.
"We raised the issue of the Indo-Pacific and submarines at all levels starting in June, when we started to have serious doubts," the spokesperson indicated. "It was the president who took the initative to invite Morrisson in June. Morrisson did not tell him anything and suggested [possible cancellation] and they agreed to continue the work. The president wrote at length to Morrisson to address his concerns. Morrisson's response was purely dilatory," the source added.
Australia and France agreed to a $40 billion contract to build a fleet of 12 attack submarines for Australia's Navy. The contract was unexpecedly scrapped at the last moment last week after Morrison, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the creation of a new submarine project as part of the new trilateral AUKUS defence pact. Under the agreement, the subs would be built in Australia using American and British nuclear reactor technology.
France slammed the move, recalling its ambassadors to Australia and the United States over what Paris deemed to have constituted "unacceptable behaviour between allies and partners." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called the defence pact a "stab in the back."
A Rivercat ferry passes by the Royal Australian Navy's newest Collins class submarine, HMAS Waller - Sputnik International, 1920, 16.09.2021
France Reportedly Cancels Washington Gala After 'Betrayal' Submarine Deal
The fallout from the sub contract cancellation has also included the scrapping of an Anglo-French defence summit, hints by French lawmakers that Paris would seek to delay the signing of an Australian-European Union free trade deal, and even demands by French opposition politicians that the country withdraw from the NATO alliance.
In addition to the perceived snub against France, the creation of AUKUS has led to security concerns from other major powers, including China, which accused the US of seeking to intensify a global arms race through the pact, and India, where defence experts questioned the relevance of the so-called Quad alliance, and the reliability of the US as a partner to New Delhi. Other US partners in Europe, Asia and Canada were reportedly also caught off guard by the new pact, with some allies reportedly feeling snubbed for being left out of the loop. North Korea also expressed concerns, calling the trilateral security pact and the decision to transfer nuclear submarine technology to Australia "extremely undesirable and dangerous acts which will upset the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region."
Polaris missile launch from HMS Revenge - Sputnik International, 1920, 18.09.2021
The Last Time the US Gave an Ally Nuclear Technology, France Tried to Quit NATO
US and UK officials are expected to try to smooth over relations with France in the coming days and weeks, with a French government spokesperson announcing Sunday that Presidents Macron and Joe Biden would hold telephone talks in the near future. Prime Minister Johnson, meanwhile, sought to smooth talk the French on Monday, saying London was "very, very proud" of its relationship with Paris and calling the "very friendly" ties "absolutely vital for us."
Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала