“The submarine accident and what happened in Afghanistan show that we can no longer count on the United States to ensure our strategic protection,” French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday.
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This came in a statement to “Radio France” one day after a phone call between French President Emmanuel Macron and his American counterpart Joe Biden about the submarine crisis.
During the call on Wednesday, the two presidents announced “commitments” to restore the trust between the two countries after Australia breached a contract to supply French submarines in favor of a strategic partnership with Washington and London.
“When such a tough decision is made, I think it leaves lasting effects,” Le Maire said.
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I had no illusions about the strategic developments of the United States, they believe that their allies should be obedient.”
The minister believes that “the first lesson that can be learned from this crisis is that the European Union must build its strategic independence. France wants to build a more independent and stronger Europe.”
And he added, “If tomorrow there is a big problem related to irregular migration or a problem of terrorism coming from the African continent, who will protect us?”, stressing: “We Europeans can only rely on ourselves.”
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Relations between France on the one hand and the United States and Australia on the other entered an open crisis on Thursday after Australia canceled a deal to buy French submarines and replace them with American nuclear-powered ones.
The cancellation of the deal prompted Paris to describe the matter as “betrayal and a stab in the back.”
