The French Embassy in Washington, D.C., canceled a gala in protest of being pushed out of a multibillion-dollar deal between the United States and the United Kingdom to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
Friday’s gala was meant to commemorate the long history of diplomatic ties between France and the U.S., but a French official told the New York Times that proceeding with the event would be “ridiculous” in light of the tension.
‘THE WORLD IS A JUNGLE:’ FRANCE FUMES AT US-UK NUCLEAR SUBMARINE DEAL
It was specifically going to celebrate the 240th anniversary of the 1781 Battle of the Capes, in which the French navy secured sea supply lanes to provide goods and weapons the Americans needed to win the Revolutionary War. The party was to take place at the embassy in Washington, D.C., and on a French frigate docked in Baltimore.
#Chesapeake240
As part the 240th anniv. of the Battle of the Capes, we welcome ?? destroyer Aquitaine on U.S. shores. She will be in U.S. waters as part of operational activities in the Atlantic, and her visit will be accompanied by meetings between ?? & ?? Navy officials. pic.twitter.com/YYT3FPBWSg— French Embassy U.S. (@franceintheus) September 14, 2021
This comes after Australia withdrew from a 2016 agreement with a French shipbuilder and forged a deal with the U.K. and the U.S. in what is widely viewed as a bid to counter China. French diplomats told the New York Times their U.S. counterparts kept them entirely out of the loop.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called the deal a “unilateral, brutal, unpredictable decision” that “is not done between allies” in an interview with Franceinfo radio.
“The ?? choice to exclude a ?? ally and partner such as ?? from a structuring partnership with Australia, at a time when we are facing unprecedented challenges in the Indo-Pacific region (…) shows a lack of coherence that ?? can only note and regret.”https://t.co/ruGnJkQAWa
— French Embassy U.S. (@franceintheus) September 16, 2021
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“The American decision, which leads to the exclusion of a European ally and partner like France from a crucial partnership with Australia at a time when we are facing unprecedented challenges in the Indo-Pacific region […] signals a lack of consistency which France can only notice and regret,” Le Drian said in a statement.
The French Embassy in Washington, D.C., was not immediately available for comment.
