AUKUS- France attacks Boris Johnson as an opportunist ‘fifth wheel on the carriage’ and says Britain has ‘returned into the American lap’ in extraordinarily bitter outburst after losing £30bn subs deal.

France intensified the growing diplomatic war over a cancelled £30billion submarine contract and dismissed Prime Minister Boris Johnson as the opportunist ‘fifth wheel on the carriage’ in the new security pact between America and Australia.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, the Foreign Minister in Paris, on Saturday said his country was fully justified in recalling its Ambassadors from Washington D.C. and Canberra, in the latest stinging rebuke by the French.

French President Emmanuel Macron is furious at the new submarine pact between the three countries, which caught France off guard and resulted in the cancelation of £65.5billion pound contracts for Australia to build French diesel submarines.

When asked on the France 2 radio station why his Ambassador to London had not been recalled too, Mr Le Drian suggested there was no need.

Britain was known for its ‘permanent opportunism’ and Mr Johnson was deemed the ‘fifth wheel on the carriage anyway,’ said French Foreign Minister Le Drian.

In his furious attack on all three members of the new AUKUS pact – America, Australia and Britain – Mr Le Drian said all had acted disgracefully.

New Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has strongly defended the UK’s security pact with the US and Australia, saying it showed Britain would be ‘hard-headed’ in defending its interests.

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Ms Truss said the UK was a ‘fierce champion’ of freedom and democracy around the world.

‘But freedoms need to be defended, so we are also building strong security ties around the world. That is why last week the Prime Minister announced, alongside our friends President Biden and Prime Minister Morrison, the creation of a new security partnership called Aukus,’ she wrote.

‘It shows our readiness to be hard-headed in defending our interests and challenging unfair practices and malign acts. It also shows our commitment to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.’

Ms Truss made no reference in her article to the diplomatic row which has erupted by with France after Australia announced it was scrapping an order for French submarines in favour of more powerful nuclear-powered vessels acquired with the help of the UK and US.

Source: Nairaland Forum