Boris Johnson tells France to ‘donnez-moi un break’ over AUKUS sub deal
Boris Johnson has told France “prenez un grip” and donnez-moi un break” over the trilateral deal between the UK, US and Australia to build new nuclear submarines.
Johnson appeared to mock the French for their furious response to the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, which saw Australia renege on a £50bn deal with Emmanuel Macron’s government.
The deal will see the US and UK build 12 state of the art nuclear-powered submarines for the Australian Navy in what is being seen as a strategical safeguard against China.
Canberra pulled out of a deal that would have seen France build lesser quality submarines for the Australian Navy in order to sign the trilateral AUKUS pact.
Johnson told reporters outside the Capitol Building in Washington, DC, that it was time for France to get over the geopolitical slight.
“I just think it’s time for some of our dearest friends around the world to prenez un grip about this and donnez-moi un break,” he said.
“Because this is fundamentally a great step forward for global security. It’s three very like-minded allies standing shoulder to shoulder creating a new partnership for the sharing of technology. It’s not exclusive. It’s not trying to shoulder anybody out. It’s not adversarial towards China for instance.
“It is there to intensify links and friendship between three countries in a way that will be beneficial for things that we believe in. Good for the protection of democracy, freedom, human rights, equalities, the rule of law which underpins the free trade that we have just been talking about so I find it very hard to see in this agreement anything not to like.”
Macron, who is seeking re-election next year, has not spoken publicly about the row, however a number of his cabinet have produced stinging statements.
France also moved to withdraw its ambassadors from the US and Australia over the spat, however the UK was spared as the Élysée thinks Britain’s role was not important enough to warrant the dramatic action.
France officials described Britain’s role in the AUKUS treaty as akin to being a “spare tyre”.
There have also been suggestions from French officials that the conduct of the three countries – described by French foreign minister Jean-Yves le Drian as an example of “duplicity, contempt and lies” – will threaten the status of The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato).
France’s Europe minister Clement Beaune said: “Our British friends explained to us that they were leaving the EU to create Global Britain. As you can see, it is a return to the American fold and accepting a form of vassal status.”