French minister decries ‘duplicity’ in US-Australia sub deal

PARIS (AP) France s foreign minister on Saturday denounced what he called the duplicity, disdain and lies surrounding the sudden rupture of France s lucrative contract to make submarines for Australia in favor of a U.S. deal and declared that a crisis is at hand among the Western allies.

A day after France recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian pummeled what he suggested was a backroom deal that betrayed France.

via apnews.com

This is just speculation on my part, but I suspect there was “a backroom deal” between the PRC and some high level French officials at least regarding these buggy, outdated French submarines Australia was a some point supposed to get. The AUKUS deal throws a money wrench in all of that. The French aren’t acting like a party that deeply cares about the security of the West. If the French weren’t actually trying to betray NATO and the Aussies with this deal, then it’s too bad they have to take one for the team. But either way, Australia needs a serious navy and they need it now, and France just has to accept that.