Jean-Yves Le Drian raises his tone towards Washington, calls on Europeans to take deep thought

Published on : 09/21/2021 – 00:37

The tone of the head of French diplomacy worsened on the submarine crisis. After recalling the French ambassador to Washington for consultations, Jean-Yves Le Drian denounced, Monday, September 20, a “lack of consultation” of the United States.

“The subject is first and foremost that of the breakdown of confidence between allies”, and that “calls for serious reflection between Europeans”, he declared during a press conference in New York on the sidelines of the Assembly. annual general meeting of the United Nations (UN).

“What is at issue today, beyond the breach of an industrial contract, the sudden, unexpected, unexplained breach”, “what matters now is first of all the question of the breach of trust between partners “, he insisted.

“The alliance means transparency”, “predictability”, “explanation”, “talking to each other”, “not hiding”, he said, “all of this requires clarification today “.

Biden’s diplomacy compared to that of his predecessor

He once again deplored the “brutality of the announcement” made by US President Joe Biden on September 15 of a new strategic alliance with Australia and the United Kingdom, which torpedoed a mega-contract of French submarines at Canberra.

This is akin to “the permanence of reflexes of an era that we hoped to be over,” he insisted, in a clear allusion to the mandate of former US President Donald Trump.

Jean-Yves Le Drian “sends back to back two administrations which have succeeded one another”, comments Matthieu Mabin, correspondent for France 24 in Washington.

A call between Macron and Biden in the coming days

The minister also deplored the “very confrontational orientation” which is emerging, on the American side, vis-à-vis China, believing that the Europeans should defend an “alternative model” rather through “competition”, sometimes “muscular”.

He regretted that Europe was “excluded” from Washington’s strategy for the Indo-Pacific region.

Jean-Yves Le Drian did not want to say when the expected phone call would take place between French President Emmanuel Macron and his American counterpart Joe Biden. It will be “in the days to come,” he said only.

As for him, he “did not plan a meeting” with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York. “I would have the opportunity to meet him in the halls,” he said only.

With AFP