By Mona Austin
U.S. President Joe Biden arrived for a meeting with French Pres. Emmanuel Macron under a cloud of tension sprouting from a recent relationship breach with the long-time ally.
When greeting the American leader at the French Embassy on Friday, smiling, Macron put his arm around Pres. Biden upon his arrival for their meeting. The welcome appeared to be warm despite the French being outwardly agitated over the U.S. entering a defense agreement to sell missile powered submarines to Australia.
The French expressed their grievance by immediately removing their Ambassadors from the U.S. and the U.K.
A reporter shouted the question, "Will you apologize?" Biden 's response was ,“To whom?”
In a follow up on whether he needs to apologize to Macron, POTUS responded: “We’ve already talked.” The two men had talked twice before meeting face-to-face and the PRess Secreatary, Jen Psaki in fielding questions about the mix up said there could have been more consultation on the matter.
A rift between the two ally nations was caused when Australia walked away from a defense contract with France worth $66 billion in favor of a merger with the U.S. and U.K.
The deal with Australia was seen as a way of strengthening the Indo-Pacific region against Russia and China, but as France sees it, the deal diminshes their prowess as eqaul leaders in to the U.S. and U.K. and Both France and Australia are NATO partners with the United States. France has its our defence builing capabilities and has developed missles that it expected to U.S. to buy into. The defense relationship with
Is the relationship repaired " was under the ipresin that certain things had been said that hadn't been conveyed, summing the amtter up as a misunderstanding or miscommunication. Biden saidin trying to smooth out the that France is a "valuable partner" to the U.S.
Focused on moving ahead Mcaron responded by saying , "What is important is that such a situation does not happen for the future." He also said it was important for global security.
The two men had spoken he thought France was informed about the deal before he made the agreement
Comments