Submarine dispute: Biden and Macron agree to meet

Status: 22.09.2021 7:26 p.m.

After the serious rift in the submarine dispute, US President Biden and French President Macron want to meet in person in Europe in October. They agreed on a phone call that Biden had asked for.

After diplomatic turmoil in the dispute over a submarine deal with Australia, US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to meet in Europe in October. This emerges from a joint communication from both governments that the White House circulated. Macron also decided that the French ambassador should return to Washington next week.

Last week, without consulting his allies, Biden announced an Indo-Pacific security alliance under which Australia would be equipped with American-made nuclear-powered submarines. Great Britain is also involved in the arms deal.

Billion dollar deal burst

The alliance sparked outrage among the government in Paris after a billion-dollar deal for the construction of twelve conventional diesel-powered submarines for Australia was broken.

According to French diplomats, France was informed just hours before Biden’s announcement that Australia was withdrawing from the contract with the French arms company DCNS. In an unprecedented move, France then called its ambassadors to the US and Australia back for consultations. Biden had finally asked Macron to call him to settle the differences.

The joint statement said that the presidents had agreed to start a process of intensive consultations in order to build trust and propose concrete steps with a view to common goals. The planned meeting is part of it.

France expects an admission

Before the phone call, the French government palace, Elysée, said that the Americans were expected to admit that their unilateral action had led to a “crisis of confidence” between the two allies.

A spokeswoman for the Elysée said it had to be clarified why the US government had actively kept the French out of their plans in the Indo-Pacific. The central question is how and under what conditions the Americans can return to trusting cooperation among allies.

With information from Julia Borutta, ARD-Studio Paris

A phone call between US President Biden and French President Macron is expected

Julia Borutta, ARD Paris, September 22nd, 2021 7:15 p.m.

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