AUKUS Creation Resulted in Loss of Trust in Biden Administration, Merkel's Ex-Adviser Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The formation of Australia-UK-US security alliance (AUKUS) is perceived as an "insult to a NATO partner" and led to a "big loss of trust" in the US government, a long-time former foreign policy adviser to German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the Financial Times on 24 September.

"And I don't know whether that loss [of trust] has been sufficiently outweighed by the supposed increase in regional security," Christoph Heusgen said.

AUKUS was announced on 15 September. Australia made an unprecedented move by terminating a $66 billion submarine contract with France in favor of the new trilateral alliance. The initiative resulted in tensions between Paris and AUKUS members, with French ambassadors recalled from Washington and Canberra.

The security alliance is similar to the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in terms of Washington's actions, which "did not meet the expectations one had of the US government, which came into office with a promise to co-ordinate closely with allies," Heusgen added.

Earlier in the week, French President Emmanuel Macron decided to return the French ambassador to Washington after a phone conversation with US President Joe Biden. The leaders also agreed to meet in late October to discuss ways to secure confidence in bilateral relations and restore mutual confidence.