France calls UK a 'junior partner' in submarine deal as Germany warns it threatens Western unity

His comments form the latest broadside in a furious French reaction to the surprise cancellation by Australia of a £72.8 billion deal to buy diesel-electric submarines in favour of nuclear-powered technology provided by Britain and the US.

In barbed remarks about Britain, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French foreign minister, said France opted against recalling its ambassador to the UK over the row because France was familiar with the UK's "permanent opportunism". .

His tone contrasted markedly with that of Mr Beaune, who told the French state TV channel Public Senat: “Our British friends explained to us they were leaving the EU to create Global Britain.

In a second attack, he told France 24: “We see through this partnership, this strategic alliance and after the Kabul crisis, that Global Britain seems to be more about a US junior partner than working with different allies,”.

Andreas Michaelis, Germany’s ambassador to the UK said on Saturday that the new German government elected next weekend will be faced with “important strategic discussions.”.

“That Australia would be an important ally for Washington - and, at least with a view to this region of the world, a more important one than France - could also have occurred to Paris.

Likewise, one should have understood that Australia would rather choose the USA than France if it had to decide on a protecting power in the new Cold War between China and the USA.”