London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

'What We Did Was Clumsy': Biden Calls France an 'Extremely Valued Partner' in Wake of AUKUS Fallout

'What We Did Was Clumsy': Biden Calls France an 'Extremely Valued Partner' in Wake of AUKUS Fallout

Last month, relations between France and the United States slipped to lows not seen in decades after Washington, London, and Canberra secretly signed a security pact which robbed France's defence sector of a submarine contract with Australia worth tens of billions of dollars.

President Joe Biden has admitted that the US acted in a "clumsy" manner regarding the AUKUS security pact, and assured Paris that Washington does not have an older or more loyal ally than France.

"Sitting alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at the French Embassy to the Vatican on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome on Friday in their first face-to-face meeting since the AUKUS dust-up began last month, Biden claimed that he was "under the impression that France had been informed long before that the [French-Australian sub] deal would not go through."

"I, honest to God, did not know you had not been," he insisted.

"To use an English phrase, what we did was clumsy, not done with a lot of grace," Biden said.

The US president stressed that "there is no place in the world where we can't work together," and insisted that "we have no older, more loyal and decent ally than France."

Macron called the rendezvous with Biden "an important meeting" following two telephone conversations they'd held in September and October, and stressed the need to "look ahead to the future" after agreeing to a "common effort, a political response and strengthened cooperation between the US and France."

Macron praised Biden over what he said were "concrete decisions" taken by Washington to improve confidence between the two NATO allies.

"What really matters now is what we will do together in the coming weeks, the coming months, the coming years," he said.

Ahead of the meeting, a French security official told media that Macron would expect a new commitment from the US to support French anti-terrorism operations in the Sahel – including greater intelligence and military cooperation.

Along with AUKUS and the Sahel, the two leaders were also expected to discuss cooperation against China in the Indo-Pacific, as well as Iran's peaceful nuclear programme and the crisis in Afghanistan.

Stitching Up the 'Stab in the Back'


France lost out on a deisel-electric submarine deal with Australia worth over $65 billion last month after Canberra, London, and Washington announced the creation of a new security pact known as AUKUS, under which Australia would receive US and British nuclear reactor technology to build the subs in its own shipyards.

Paris deemed the agreement, which was negotiated in total secrecy from AUKUS's allies, as a "stab in the back," and accused Canberra of falsely assuring France that the sub deal was still in place even after it became clear that the security pact would lead the country to cancel the order. France briefly pulled its ambassadors to the US and Australia over the perceived betrayal, with some opposition lawmakers urging tough steps – up to and including potential withdrawal from NATO, over the slight.

Last month, Jordan Bardella, interim president of Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National - Macron's top challenger in the upcoming 2022 presidential elections, told Europe 1 that the AUKUS scandal made it "necessary to question our NATO membership."

"For 20 years we have been following the United States to the letter," Bardella said, adding that it was time for the country to regain "the means of its freedom."

Macron and Le Pen are polling neck and neck ahead of the April vote, with a Harris-Interactive poll carried out in the week ending 13 October showing Macron leading by less than three percentage points.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×