The United States never mentioned any initiative to form a new security alliance and never answered any of France's questions on the matter, the Elysee Palace said Monday, APA reports citing Reuters.
A spokesperson for the presidential palace indicated that when French President Emmanual Macron met with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrisson in Paris in mid-June, Morrisson did not make any hints that Canberra would be canceling a lucrative submarine contract with France.
"We raised the issue of the Indo-Pacific and submarines at all levels starting in June, when we started to have serious doubts," the spokesperson indicated.