The aftermath of last week's defense settlement dominated both when EU foreign ministers met in connection with the UN General Assembly in the US late Monday and when EU ministers met in Brussels on Tuesday.
France has been really irritated by the deal, which means that the country is losing a contract to sell conventionally powered submarines to Australia to a value of the equivalent of 350 billion Swedish kronor.
Instead, the United States and Britain will provide Australians with nuclear-powered submarines.
"A disappointment"
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel are supporting France and are expected to raise the issue with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday night.
- I do not think France overreacts.
France should not overreact.
But the situation is worrying and serious and I think it is our responsibility to speak clearly - precisely because we are allies.
We can not pretend that it is not a problem, says French EU Minister Clément Beaune.
Trust the United States?
Sweden's EU Minister Hans Dahlgren (S) also says he understands the French irritation.
But he also wants to know more.
- It is necessary to create clarity about which commitments have now been broken, Dahlgren says after Tuesday's ministerial meeting.
At the same time, he downplays the irritation that exists in the EU over recent US action.
In addition to the submarine crisis, the rapid US withdrawal from Afghanistan has raised questions in Europe about how close cooperation really is with President Joe Biden and his administration.
"Not harmed Sweden"
Demands have already been made to suspend EU negotiations on a trade agreement with Australia.
A planned trade meeting with the US in Pittsburgh next week is also in the danger zone as the EU is considering protest measures.
Hans Dahlgren, however, calls for continued "openness to the outside world".
- We will not change the EU's trade policy as a result of this, but I am sure that it will be mentioned in the trade discussions that the European Council (EU Heads of State and Government) will have soon, says the EU Minister.