London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 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
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×