WASHINGTON, D.C: President Joe Biden’s decision to form a strategic Indo-Pacific alliance with Australia and Britain to counter China is angering France and the European Union. They’re feeling left out and seeing it as a return to the Trump era.

The security initiative, unveiled suspicions of American intentions this week, appears to have brought — with potential implications Biden’s summer of love with for Biden’s broader aim to unite Europe to an abrupt end. Aukus, democracies against authoritarianism, which notably excludes France focused primarily on China and the European Union, is just and Russia. the latest in a series of steps, from Just three months ago, on his Afghanistan to East Asia, that have first visit to the continent as president, taken Europe aback. Biden was hailed as a hero

After promising European leaders by European counterparts eager that “America is back” and that to move beyond the trans-Atlantic multilateral diplomacy would tensions of the Trump years. But guide US foreign policy, Biden has that palpable sense of relief has alienated numerous allies with now faded for many and its one a go-it-alone approach on key clear winner, German Chancellor issues. France’s foreign minister Angela Merkel, is on her way out. expressed “total incomprehension” Since June, Biden has infuriated at the recent move, which he America’s oldest ally, called a “stab in the back,” and the France, left Poland and Ukraine European Union’s foreign policy questioning the US commitment chief complained that Europe had to their security and upset the not been consulted. European Union more broadly

France will lose a nearly with unilateral decisions ranging $100-billion deal to build diesel from Afghanistan to East Asia. submarines for Australia under the And, while Europe cheered when terms of the initiative, which will Biden pledged to return to nuclear see the United States and Britain negotiations with Iran and revive help Canberra construct nuclearpowered Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, ones. both efforts remain stalled nine

As such, French anger on a purely months into his administration. commercial level would be understandable, The seeds of discontent may particularly because have been sown in the spring but France, since Britain’s handover of they began to bloom in July over Hong Kong to China in 1997, is Biden’s acquiescence to a Russiato-Germany the only European nation to have gas pipeline that will significant territorial possessions bypass Poland and Ukraine and or a permanent military presence a month later, in August, with in the Pacific. the chaotic US withdrawal from

But French and European Afghanistan that left Europe Union officials went further, scrambling to keep up after it saying the agreement calls into had expressed reservations about question the entire cooperative the pullout. effort to blunt China’s growing Then, just this week, Biden influence and underscores the enraged France and the European importance of languishing plans Union with his announcement to boost Europe’s own defense that the United States would join and security capabilities. post-Brexit Britain and Australia

Some have compared Biden’s in a new Indo-Pacific security recent actions to those of his predecessor, initiative aimed at countering Donald Trump, under China’s increasing aggressiveness Trump’s “America First” doctrine. in the region.

That’s surprising for a president Unsurprisingly, China reacted steeped in international affairs angrily, accusing the United States who ran for the White House vowing and its English-speaking partners to mend shaken ties with allies of embarking on a project that and restore US credibility on the will destabilize the Pacific to world stage. the detriment of global security.

Although it’s impossible to But, the reactions from Paris and predict if any damage will be Brussels were equally severe. Both lasting, the short-term impact complained they were not only seems to have rekindled European excluded from the deal but not

consulted on it.

The White House and Secretary of State Antony Blinken say France had been informed of the decision before it was announced on Wednesday although it was not exactly clear when. Blinken said on Thursday there had been conversations with the French about it within the past 24 to 48 hours, suggesting there had not been an in-depth consultation.

French Foreign Minister JeanYves Le Drian, who in June extolled the “excellent news for all of us that America is back,” expressed “total incomprehension” at the announcement of the initiative. “It was really a stab in the back,” he said. “It looks a lot like what Trump did.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki dismissed the comparison. “I would say the president doesn’t think about it much,” she told reporters. “The president’s focus is on maintaining and continuing our close relationships with leaders in France, with the United Kingdom, with Australia and to achieving our global objectives, which include security in the Indo-Pacific.”

In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell echoed the French minister’s complaints. “I suppose that an agreement of this nature was not cooked up the day before yesterday. It takes a certain amount of time and despite that, no, we were not consulted,” he said. “That obliges us, once again . . . to reflect on the need to put European strategic autonomy high on the agenda.”

Indeed, the 27-member European Union on Thursday unveiled a new strategy for boosting economic, political and defense ties in the Indo-Pacific, just hours after the announcement by the United States, Britain and Australia. The European Union said the aim is to strengthen and expand economic relations while reinforcing respect of international trade rules and improving maritime security. It said it hopes the strategy will result in more European naval deployments to the region.

US officials brushed aside the French and EU complaints on Thursday.

“There are a range of partnerships that include the French and some partnerships that don’t, and they have partnerships with other countries that don’t include us,” Psaki said. “That is part of how global diplomacy works.”

Speaking alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the Australian defense and foreign ministers, Blinken said there “is no regional divide” with Europe over Indo-Pacific strategy. “We welcome European countries playing an important role in the IndoPacific,” he said, calling France a “vital partner.”

But how closely they will work together remains to be seen.