Aukus Pact, Darnis: “The US has betrayed the trust of France, but not only that”

The United States “has betrayed the trust” of France and beyond, “they have not thought about the consequences and if you do not think about the consequences it means that they consider France, Europe and NATO to be marginal”. As they had already in fact demonstrated with the hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan. Jean Pierre Darnis, professor of Franco-Italian relations at the University of Nice and scientific advisor to the Iai, is the spokesperson for the feeling of “disappointment, surprise, violent displeasure” felt by the French in the face of “betrayal, particularly by the Americans, and to lack of consideration towards Paris but which indirectly affects all Europeans and NATO “after the Aukus Pact on defense between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. “The French feel lost – he says in an interview with Adnkronos – they didn’t expect it. There had been weak Australian signs of dissatisfaction with the contracts for the purchase of 12 conventional submarines, but in France they seemed quite normal in the within the framework of the execution of a complicated contract. And again at the end of August the foreign ministers of Paris and Canberra had issued a joint declaration in which they spoke of cooperation on submarines “. Which will now be built by the Americans and will be nuclear-powered to better react to the Chinese threat. ‘military alliance between the united states and france was very close and profound’ What hurts the most, the French expert underlines, “however, is not so much the breaking of the contract, nor that the Australians, who they considered loyal, can change the strategic paradigm , nor the attitude of the English, from whom this could also have been expected “. What hurts the most, according to Darnis, “is that the Americans have not even tried to seek a solution in dialogue, of compromise with the French, who have been confronted with a fait accompli”. And this “is very serious, because the military alliance between France and the United States is deep and very strong, in Africa, for example, cooperation in the fight against terrorism is very close, with Biden negotiations have been started on many things, including on the digital, and also in an anti-Chinese strategic key “. The United States, as happened last month with the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which for example “in Italy and Germany was very much felt”, have shown that they have no interest in the consequences, denounces Darnis: “They didn’t care, because France is marginal but also all of Europe and ultimately NATO “. ‘possible revival of the European defense debate, but for many it is a Franco-French problem’ But now what can Paris do? “Block the negotiations for the free trade agreement between the EU and Australia, not go to the top of the Alliance”, which Macron had already declared ‘brain dead’ ?. “They are extremes in which everyone loses”, says the French expert, convinced that what happened will not have an impact on the current electoral campaign in France for the presidential elections. And finally, Darnis believes that the Aukus Pact could revitalize the debate on European common defense , although “in practice it is difficult to think of integrated European forces, which, for example, in Africa move completely free from national constraints on the use of force”. France, Italy and Germany could accelerate, united by mistrust in the Americans, even if some European countries believe that the Aukus Pact is “a Franco-French problem”, says the professor at the University of Nice.