Aukus: French minister bemoans lack of trust in British alliance

Clément Beaune says Brexit fallout and the secret defence pact have undermined Franco-British relations

The British-French alliance lacks trust, France’s EU affairs minister has said, citing Downing Street’s approach to the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland and the secretly negotiated defence agreement with the US and Australia.

Clément Beaune, a close ally of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said that while the two problematic issues should not be mixed, together they highlighted the flaw in the relationship.