Blinken, in Paris, seeks to heal AUKUS rift with France

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

PARIS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Paris as the Biden administration seeks to repair damage to relations caused by excluding America’s oldest ally from a new Indo-Pacific security initiative. Blinken was meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and President Emmanuel Macron’s national security adviser on Tuesday to try to restore trust between the countries. The administration has acknowledged that the announcement of a three-way agreement between Australia, Britain and the U.S. known as AUKUS was handled poorly. France reacted with fury to the announcement that also scuttled a multibillion-dollar submarine contract it had with Australia. French officials called it a stab in the back by allies and have said it will take much time and work to overcome.