French break-up a blow to Biden's China-focused alliance rebuilding
France reacted with fury, saying the new deal had been hatched behind its back and resorting to language almost unheard of in public pronouncements between allies, calling it "brutal" and a "stab in the back"
European capitals celebrated a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June, as President Joe Biden's top diplomat cracked jokes in French in Paris, posed for selfies with French youth and spoke at length about revitalizing the transatlantic relationship.
It was a breath of fresh air after four years of former President Donald Trump's brash "America First" administration, during which US ties with Europe lurched from one crisis to another amid policy decisions that often blindsided European countries.
But less than three months after Blinken's repair tour, Washington finds itself in an unprecedented diplomatic crisis with France over a trilateral deal with Britain to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines that sank a $40 billion contract for French-designed vessels. Read More
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