Skip to main content

AUCKUS: Biden admits of a ‘clumsy’ pact that rifted Paris and Washington

President Joe Biden of the United States of America met with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Friday at France’s Vatican Embassy in Rome ahead of the G20 summit of world leaders scheduled for this weekend. President Biden took on this opportunity to mend relations between the two nations that saw the worst of light in aftermath of AUCKUS deal. 

AUCKUS, the pact between the USA, Australia, and the UK was formed to tackle going presence of China in the Indo-Pacific region. Under the deal, the US offered to share its nuclear technology with Australia, which earlier was only shared with the UK. This led to the falling out of a $66 billion submarine deal between Australia and France to build six diesel-powered submarines. The AUCKUS security and technology pact left France blindsided, and feeling betrayed and humiliated at hands of Australia. The September deal also left sore relations between US and France. 

During the bilateral meeting that went over an hour at Villa Bonaparte (the French embassy to the Vatican), Biden inferred that he was under impression that Australia had already informed France of the submarine contract being canceled. “I was under the impression that France had been informed long before, that the [French] deal was not going through,” he said. This might also imply that either staff members at the White House failed to communicate about the submarine contract status or Australia had misled Washington about the status. “The answer is – I think what happened was to use an English phrase … clumsy, it was not done with a lot of grace,” Biden said. 

The meeting between the two leaders is said to be quite successful. Biden vowed to support France’s counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel. Macron and Biden have welcomed a bilateral clean energy partnership, affirmed the NATO capability, and strengthened cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Elysee said the French-US leaders’ meeting “set a very high level of ambition for relations between the EU and the US, with a strong emphasis on security and defense”. The reconciliation between Paris and Washington might have healed many sores of the former led by AUCKUS pact, but still, a lot is left to be mended. Like Macron said after the meeting, “Trust is like love: Declarations are good, but the proof is better.” 

Biden and Emmanuel Macron


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Netanyahu’s Shocking Gaza Plan: ‘We Will Take Control of ALL of Gaza’ — But At What Cost?

  As Israeli forces intensify their offensive, Netanyahu vows total control of Gaza — but the humanitarian crisis is reaching a breaking point. Will the world stand by and watch? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel will “take control of all” of the Gaza Strip, signaling an unprecedented escalation in the ongoing conflict. In a video posted to Telegram, Netanyahu emphasized that military operations are advancing rapidly, with no intention of backing down. “The fighting is intense, and we are making progress,” he said, framing the offensive as necessary for Israel’s long-term security. But as international pressure mounts, his government is walking a tightrope between military dominance and global condemnation. The Israeli military has ordered mass evacuations in southern Gaza, warning residents of Khan Yunis and surrounding areas to flee immediately ahead of a devastating assault. Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee described the coming attack as ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Israel issues latest forced evacuation order in areas in Khan Younis

  The Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, has issued the latest forced evacuation order for civilians living in nine areas in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Adraee said that the army was expanding its operation and “intensifying sudden and concentrated firepower”. The spokesperson called on residents to evacuate westward. So-called Israeli safe zones, including Al-Mawasi in Khan Younis, are routinely attacked despite the army forcing Palestinians to move to those areas.
Post a Comment
Read more

Exposing How the Muslim Brotherhood Fuels Instability Behind a Political Facade

  The Muslim Brotherhood started in Egypt during 1928 since then it has portrayed itself as a combination of political organization and social movement working for Islamic values and governance. jinakata the Brotherhood displays an intricate web that connects extremist concepts and violent deeds which produce regional turmoil. The Ideological Foundations The Brotherhood bases its ideology upon the teachings of Hassan al-Banna and Sayyid Qutb. Extremist groups obtain their core beliefs from the writings specifically authored by Qutb. The Brotherhood's concept of jihad for creating an Islamic state has directly inspired al-Qaeda and ISIS to establish their extremist agendas thus creating a direct link between those groups and the movement. Historical Links to Extremism Over and above its philosophical standards The Brotherhood maintains extensive power. Notably: Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden developed extremist beliefs because he learned Brotherhood religious doctrine in his early...
Post a Comment
Read more