French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire was surprised by the statements made by the Danish Prime Minister, who said that the United States will continue to defend and protect the European Union at all costs.

Le Maire said - to French media - that the belief that the United States will continue to protect and defend the European Union is a big mistake, and that the union must rely on itself.


lasting effects

He added that the submarine crisis and what happened in Afghanistan show that the Europeans can no longer rely on the United States to ensure their strategic protection.

Le Maire stressed that Europe should open its eyes, noting that the United States has one concern, which is containing the rise of China's power.

"When such a harsh decision is made, I think it leaves lasting effects," he said. "I had no illusions about the strategic developments of the United States, they believe that their allies should be obedient."


Phone call

Earlier on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron decided - during a phone call - to open in-depth consultations to ensure confidence, after the tension in the relations of the two countries following the submarine deal with Australia.

A White House statement said that the French president decided to return the French ambassador to Washington next week, and Biden also reiterated the strategic importance of French and European participation in the Indo-Pacific region.

The statement indicated that the two presidents will meet in Europe at the end of next October in order to reach common understandings in the context of the war against terrorism. .


transcend anger

For his part, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on France to overcome its anger over the US-Australian submarine deal, while British Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab stressed the importance of the OCUS agreement signed with the United States and Australia, in order to achieve his country's vision to strengthen stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Raab said that the "Ocos" agreement - which led to the cancellation of a deal concluded by France with Australia to buy French submarines - is an agreement "very important to Britain's security", and that it will contribute to "strengthening stability in the Indo-Pacific region", and will enhance London's negotiations to sign free trade agreements. It will create a lot of opportunities and jobs.

Relations between France on the one hand, and the United States and Australia on the other, entered a severe crisis last Thursday, after Australia canceled the purchase of French submarines and compensated them with American nuclear-fueled ones, which Paris described as "betrayal and a stab in the back."


joint european army

In the same context, the European Union's High Commissioner for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell said - in response to a question about the idea of ​​creating a joint European army - that the Europeans should have the ability to deploy their forces, as is the case for the United States.

He added - in an interview with the American network "PBS" - that there will be problems in the neighborhood of the European Union and the United States will not interfere, and that the Europeans should be able to intervene.

He said that NATO should not worry about establishing a European army because European military capabilities are complementary to the alliance and not a substitute for it.