The degree of anger of the French recalled the acrimony between Paris and Washington in 2003 over the war in Iraq and implied a new language since then. “This is not done between allies,” said Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in an interview with Franceinfo, describing the agreement as “a unilateral, brutal, unpredictable decision”.
exclusion of NATO member France from the new Anglo-Australian-American military partnership as a moment that will deepen an already growing rift between long-standing allies. President Emmanuel Macron has already declared that he intends to pursue France’s “strategic autonomy” vis-à-vis the United States.
But even as US officials scrambled to respond to French anger, they dismissed the idea of a serious breakup. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, told reporters that the United States had informed job function email database the French before the president’s announcement but was under no obligation to include the country in its agreement with the ‘Australia and Great Britain.
or global cooperative partnership that the United States has in the world,” she said. She added that the United States and France will continue to be partners in several other ways, noting that “the French are members of the G-7”.
Yet the lack of consultation – and the last-minute revelation – infuriated French officials in Washington, who angrily canceled a gala at their embassy in Washington on Thursday to protest what they called a reckless political move and sudden that resembled those of former President Donald. J. Trump.
When asked what Mr. Biden thought about being compared to Mr. Trump, Ms. Psaki replied, “The president doesn’t think much about it.”
The gala was to commemorate the “240th anniversary of the Battle of the Caps”, celebrating the aid of the French navy in a 1781 battle during the struggle for independence from the United States.