France has accused longtime allies Australia and the United States of lying over a security pact that saw the Australian government scrap a contract to buy French submarines in favour of US vessels.
France's foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, denounced the "duplicity, disdain and lies" on Saturday surrounding the collapse of a $66 billion (€56 billion) contract between France's state-owned Naval Group and the Australian government for conventional submarines, DW reported.
Australia is now in favor of nuclear-propelled submarines made by the United States, scuttling the French defense deal inked in 2016.
French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden will discuss the issue during a phone call in the coming days, a French government spokesperson said on Sunday.
On Friday, France recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia, but not the UK, in an unprecedented move on Macron's orders.
“There has been lying, duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian alleged on Saturday. “This will not do,” he told France 2 television.
RHM/PR