Blinken at US/Australia 2+2 addressing French fury: There is no regional divide separating interests of our Atlantic and Pacific partners...We welcome European countries playing an important role in Indo pacific...France in part. is a vital partner on this & so many other issues
Australian Defense Minister says they signed a classified statement of intent on strategic capabilities,
Blinken seems to confirm France was given very little heads up: In touch w French counterparts in past 24-48 hours, to discuss (Australia initiative).
Will leave to Australian colleagues to discuss why the Australians sought this technology
Blinken: we strongly welcome European countries playing an important role in the Indo pacific. Look forward to continue strong cooperation with NATO, EU. Hallmark of convos w/ NATO & EU is their increased on focus on Indo Pacific and work we can do together in that regard.
Blinken: France in particular is a vital partner on this and on so many things, stretching back,...going forward...Want to find every opportunity to deepen transatlantic cooperation. ...We cooperate with France on many priorities, place fundamental value on that partnership..
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🧵this quote needs to be unpacked.
“It says a lot about how Washington discerns its interests in the Pacific..that there was no hand-wringing about angering the French.”
no handwringing by blinken? really?
maybe no handwringing by k. campbell.
seems some handwringing now
different policy experts have different foci. what seems broken about the inter agency process here is the people in the Biden administration who know and care about the transatlantic alliance did not get brought into it until too late diplomatic.substack.com/p/france-recal…
Also, does this line pass the laugh test? Come on.
“They told us they would take care of dealing with the French,” one senior U.S. official said.
New from me: White House and State Department said they understand the French position and place highest value on US France relationship, will try to resolve differences in the coming days, after France recalls ambassador diplomatic.substack.com/p/france-recal…
“We should have talked to the French earlier,” one U.S. official said. “The Europe crowd got involved very late…and it shows.” diplomatic.substack.com/p/france-recal…
“It indicates a clear sense on the part of the people who put this together that they had somehow lost sight of the President’s clear interest in rebuilding the alliance relationships & doing it in a very strong way,” ex US envoy to India Tom Pickering diplomatic.substack.com/p/france-recal…
🧵French FM & DM on being excluded on US/UK/Australia deal and having sub deal replaced: “The American choice to exclude a European ally and partner such as France from a structuring partnership with Australia, at a time when we are facing unprecedented challenges
“in the Indo-Pacific region, whether in terms of our values or in terms of respect for multilateralism based on the rule of law, shows a lack of coherence that France can only note and regret.”
“As the only European nation present in the Indo-Pacific with nearly 2MN citizens & more than 7,000 military personnel, France is a reliable partner that will continue to fulfill its commitments, as it has always done….
Pennsylvania Republican Scott Perry is asking Blinken about documents about Hunter Biden at a House foreign affairs committee hearing about Afghanistan. Blinken seems unaware what he's talking about. Then Perry asks about Senate testimony last year when Blinken was not in office
Before he ran out of time, Perry asked Blinken if his testimony had changed since he testified to the Senate last year. Blinken wasn't in office last year. Any idea what Perry was talking about, or who he's confusing Blinken with?
Rep. Brian Mast (R-Flor.) seems to be pursuing a right wing theme alleging that the Biden admin manipulated the intelligence on Afghanistan, and that is why it all went wrong. Then says he doesn't want to hear from Blinken. (Why would they have manipulated intel to look inept?)
Just in: Senate Foreign Relations Comm. Chair Bob Menendez going to floor at 5:20pm today to request unanimous consent for 30 national security appointments critically needed for Afghanistan & Haiti post-earthquake relief efforts. Confirmation was previously blocked by Senate GOP
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) raises the issue of how many senior State Dept posts do not have their Senate confirmed people, mostly because of a block by Sen. Ted Cruz.