November 27, 2022
Relations between the US and France Are Worse Than They Appear
A wide array of bilateral tensions remain between Washington and Paris — many of which have no easy solution in sight
Former President Donald Trump’s hostile approach toward Europe — including threats to pull out of NATO and characterizations of the European Union as a “foe” — injected substantial uncertainty into the US-France alliance. Throughout Trump’s time in office, Macron consistently pushed for greater European strategic autonomy, arguing that France could not depend on the United States.
Macron’s visit shouldn't serve as a mask for differences in security, trade, and diplomacy between the two allies.
While Biden’s election offered new hope for the relationship, the honeymoon was short-lived. The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 initially renewed anxiety about a lack of consideration for French interests in US decision-making. These concerns exploded the following month when France recalled its ambassador to the United States for the first time in history after Biden announced the new Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) security partnership.
Read the full article from Instick Media.
More from CNAS
-
Trump and the War in Ukraine with Michael Kofman and Robert Lee
More than 1000 days into the War in Ukraine, questions about continued support for the Ukrainian effort and the prospect of a negotiated settlement in the months to come have ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Rob Lee & Mike Kofman
-
RUSI Recording: The Impact of the U.S. Presidential Election on European Security
Jim Townsend, an adjunct senior fellow in the CNAS Transatlantic Security Program, joins RUSI to discuss the impact the next US presidential administration will have on NATO, ...
By Jim Townsend
-
Sharper: Trump 2.0
Donald Trump's return to the White House is widely expected to reshape America's global priorities. With personnel choices and policy agendas that mark a significant break fro...
By Charles Horn & Gwendolyn Nowaczyk
-
More Escalation in Ukraine: British Missiles and U.S. Land Mines
Jim Townsend, adjunct senior fellow in the Center for a New American Security Transatlantic Security Program, joins to discuss British long-range missiles and U.S. land mines ...
By Jim Townsend