How a submarine deal sparked a major diplomatic crisis

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, said, “There has been contempt so it’s not going well between us, not at all.”.

President Emmanuel Macron will have a call with his US counterpart, Joe Biden, in the next few days, the French government said on Sunday.

Jean-Pierre Thebault, French ambassador to Australia, told Al Jazeera as he left the embassy in Canberra the move to scrap the deal “has been a huge mistake”.

Le Drian on Saturday denounced what he called the “duplicity, disdain and lies” surrounding the sudden end of the contract, which he suggested was the result of a backroom deal that betrayed France.

Australia’s Morrison said on Sunday that France would have known Australia had “deep and grave concerns” that a submarine fleet the French were building would not meet Australian needs.

Le Drian denied claims there had been advance consultations with France before the announcement on Wednesday, saying “this isn’t true”.

The alliance between France and the US dates back to 1778, two years after the US declaration of independence.

“The fact that for the first time in the history of relations between the United States and France we are recalling our ambassador for consultations is a serious political act, which shows the magnitude of the crisis that exists now between our countries,” Le Drian said in a statement on Friday

The French foreign minister said France would make a priority of developing a European Union security strategy when it takes on the bloc’s presidency at the start of 2022

Australia said on Saturday it values its relationship with France and will keep engaging with Paris

“Australia understands France’s deep disappointment with our decision, which was taken in accordance with our clear and communicated national security interests,” a spokesperson for the foreign ministry said in a statement