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
-
Gulf States Distance Themselves from Trump as Iran Tensions Escalate
Video
“Not only are they hardening their stance against Iran, but they also seem to be distancing themselves somewhat from the United States." Despite Saudi Arabia joining the strik...
By Jim Townsend
-
Ukraine's Command Shake-Up: Fedorov Out, Drapatyi In
Podcast
On July 15th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed now–former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, one of the architects of Ukraine’s technological transformation o...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
Jul 24, ’26 Washington Roundtable
Podcast
On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security joins Defense & Aerospa...
By Jim Townsend
-
Hibernating Bear
Reports
Executive Summary Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there have been several crises—in Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Venezuela, and Iran—where Russia did not intervene ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Peter Schroeder & Kate Johnston
