John Kerry Claims Pres. Joe Biden Unaware of the Impact of U.S. Submarine Deal With Australia on France
U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry scored the headlines on Tuesday after he claimed that President Joe Biden was not aware of the consequences of the U.S. submarine deal with Australia in France.
Kerry made his comments with a French TV news organization as he attempted to smooth the rift between U.S. and France, following the trilateral agreement between the United States, Australia, and United Kingdom. The said alliance would provide an exchange of submarine technology.
The said deal caused France to lose at least $90 billion submarine contract, The Daily Mail reported.
In the interview, Kerry said that he was asked by Biden about the situation, claiming that he explained exactly, and the president was not aware of the effects of the submarine deal.
"He [Joe Biden] literally had not been aware of what had transpired," Kerry said in the interview.
Furthermore, Kerry said that President Joe Biden became aware of the situation when he asked the former secretary of state what had happened, The Hill reported.
"I don't want to go into the details of it but suffice to say... the president is very committed to strengthening the relationship and making sure that this is a small event of the past," Kerry underscored.
John Kerry Says U.S. and France "Have so Much to Work on"
Aside from speaking with the French reporters, Kerry also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, saying that the U.S. and France have more significant issues to work on, such as nuclear weapons, cyber warfare, and climate.
Kerry went on to say that the U.S. and France have a lot of work to do, pointing out that both countries cannot get out of track over a "momentary event." Kerry furthered that he believes the U.S. and France would get over the issues surrounding them quickly.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken Talks with France President
Aside from John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday spoke with French President Macron in an attempt to heal the rift between the U.S. and France.
According to a senior U.S. State Department official, Blinked told Macron that Washington is supportive of the European defense and the security initiatives that would increase capabilities but would not weaken the NATO alliance.
The official furthered that President Macron affirmed that any new initiative from France should not compete with NATO.
Blinked spoke with the French president for at least 30-40 minutes, then he was toured around the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs by Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian for more than an hour.
Blinken's meeting with President Macron came after French Ambassador to the U.S. Philippe Etienne returned to Washington after he was recalled amid the rift between the two countries, which also prompted the cancellation of the planned gala in Washington D.C.
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Written By: Joshua Summers
WATCH: France accuses Australia, US of 'Lying' Over Submarine Deal - From Al Jazeera English