It is an “exceptional procedure” which “marks the seriousness of our reaction”. Philippe Étienne, the French ambassador to the United States, was recalled to Paris “for a consultation” on September 17, as was his counterpart in Australia. A decision came two days after the Oceanic state broke the “contract of the century” with France, an order for 12 submarines, to turn to the Americans.
“We must assess and see our prospects,” assures Philippe Étienne, who came to explain this decision at the microphone of RTL. “It’s not a breakup, but the timing is serious enough to have this kind of diplomatic gesture. The Americans themselves are concerned about maintaining their relations with France, a serious, credible, reliable ally “.
France was “absolutely not informed” of Australia’s hesitations and the United States “knew the importance of this contract for France, both industrially and in relation to our strategy in the area. indo-pacific “. Despite the American behavior, seen by the Minister of Foreign Affairs as a “betrayal”, the ambassador assures us that the Americans perceive France, and the European Union as a whole, as “an important ally, including in terms of of security”. “We need the Americans in Europe, but the Americans also want to continue working with us,” concludes Philippe Étienne.
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