Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France Info Radio that “this savage, unilateral, and unpredictable action recalls me a lot of what Mr Trump used to do.” “I’m enraged and bitter. This isn’t something that happens between allies.”

In 2016, Australia chose French shipbuilder Naval Group to build a $40 billion submarine fleet to replace its over two-decade-old Collins submarines.

When French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in June, the Australian defense and foreign ministers reconfirmed the commitment to France, and French President Emmanuel Macron praised decades of future cooperation.

“It’s a stab in the back. We created a relationship of trust with Australia and that trust has been broken,” Le Drian said.

Relations between Trump and Macron soured during Trump’s presidency, and diplomats say there have been concerns in recent months that Biden is not being forthright with his European allies.

Washington’s actions in Australia are likely to further strain Transatlantic ties. The European Union was due to roll out its Indo-Pacific strategy later on Thursday and Paris is preparing to take on the EU presidency.

“This is a clap of thunder and for many in Paris a Trafalgar moment,” Bruno Tertrais, Deputy Director of the Paris-based think tank the Foundation of Strategic Research said on Twitter, referring to a French naval defeat in 1805 that was followed by British naval supremacy.

He said it would “complicate the transatlantic cooperation in and about the region. Beijing will benefit.”

Biden said on Wednesday France remained a “key partner in the Indo-Pacific zone.”

Morrison said in a statement that Australia looked forward to continuing to work “closely and positively” with France, adding: “France is a key friend and partner to Australia and the Indo-Pacific.”