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French Ambassador on AUKUS: ‘Every Crisis Is an Opportunity’

Philippe Etienne spoke about the controversial sub deal, his recall to Paris, and a new way forward for U.S.-French relations.

By , a columnist at Foreign Policy and an adjunct professor at American University’s School of International Service.
Philippe Étienne in 2014
Philippe Étienne in 2014
Philippe Etienne, then-French ambassador to Germany, poses in his office at the French Embassy in Berlin on Nov. 12, 2014. JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images

There has perhaps been no greater diplomatic crisis between the United States and France in modern history than last month’s so-called AUKUS deal. Washington announced a strategic partnership with the United Kingdom and Australia to provide Canberra with a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines as a bulwark against China.

Elise Labott is a columnist at Foreign Policy and an adjunct professor at American University’s School of International Service. As a correspondent for CNN for two decades, she covered seven secretaries of state and reported from more than 80 countries. Twitter: @EliseLabott

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