French President Emmanuel Macron spoke over the phone on Friday with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said Macron’s office, during which Johnson had told Macron that Britain wanted to restore its co-operation with France.
The phone conversation between the two leaders came just days after Johnson had told France to get a grip and give allies in the United States and Australia a break over a row about a trilateral nuclear submarine deal that tore up a separate French contract.
The new defence partnership between Britain, the United States, and Australia was announced last week and will give Canberra access to nuclear-powered submarine technology.
France accused U.S. President Joe Biden of stabbing it in the back and acting like his predecessor Donald Trump after Australia ditched a defence contract with Paris for the purchase of conventional submarines.
Paris recalled its ambassadors from the United States and Australia, but it has snubbed Britain. It has not mentioned London in any public communication and officials have privately said London’s role was “smoke and mirrors”.
Macron replied to Johnson that he would wait to see the British Prime Minister’s proposals, added Macron’s office.
Earlier in September, France recalled its ambassadors from the United States and Australia, after the United States and Britain signed a nuclear submarines deal with Australia, causing Australia to scrap a previous $40 billion French-designed submarine deal.
