Furious claims of betrayal, withdrawal of ambassadors and threats of retaliation on trade and technical co-operation. Not since 2003 has there been such a bitter diplomatic dispute between western allies as France’s indignant response to the new security partnership, named Aukus, between Australia, the US and the UK. The rift between Paris and Washington has not seemed as wide since France and Germany opposed the US-led war in Iraq, and then it was the US that felt let down by its allies.
Thankfully, with his phone call to President Joe Biden on Wednesday, Emmanuel Macron chose to de-escalate the dispute in return for US support for a French and EU role in the Indo-Pacific and its endorsement of a stronger EU defence policy. But it is going to take more than one conversation to restore trust. Relations with Australia and Britain may be even harder to repair in the short term.
Paris is understandably outraged that its own security partnership with Australia was blown out of the water by a nuclear submarine deal negotiated with Canberra behind its back by its two closest security partners.