- Sputnik International, 1920, 21.09.2021
AUKUS
On 15 September, the US, UK, and Australia announced the new trilateral AUKUS defence partnership. While the partners said it's designed to protect and defend "our shared interests in the Indo-Pacific", some experts believe the true purpose of the partnership is to counter China.

No Political Dialogue in NATO, France's Defence Minister Says Amid Submarine Contract Snub

© REUTERS / GONZALO FUENTESFrench Defence Minister Florence Parly speaks during the questions to the government session at the National Assembly in Paris, France, September 21, 2021.
French Defence Minister Florence Parly speaks during the questions to the government session at the National Assembly in Paris, France, September 21, 2021. - Sputnik International, 1920, 22.09.2021
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Parly also argued against the idea of France pulling out of NATO, saying that she does not think that it would be worth “slamming the door” on the alliance.
As France ended up losing a multi-billion dollar submarine contract with Australia amid the creation of a new trilateral alliance AUKUS between Washington, London, and Canberra, French Minister of Defence Florence Parly lamented the apparent lack of political dialogue in NATO.
"The behaviour of the United States in the situation with the submarine program is the new illustration of what we have been stating for months — is that there is no political dialogue within the Atlantic alliance," Parly said during a French Senate meeting.
She also argued against the idea of France withdrawing from NATO command structures after some French politicians suggested doing so following the submarine contract fiasco.
"Is it worth slamming the door on NATO? I don't think so," she said.
Last week, Australia unilaterally scrapped a $66 billion contract with French shipbuilders for diesel submarines, in favour of a plan to build submarines at home using American and British nuclear reactor technology.
This development came with the announcement of a new security partnership called AUKUS between Australia, the UK, and US.
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