Scott Morrison waiting to speak with French President over AUKUS

Boris Johnson told Emmanuel Macron to “get a grip”, Joe Biden stopped short of apologising to the French President and now it’s understood Scott Morrison’s “offer of a discussion” was ignored.

Scott Morrison has no immediate plan to placate French President Emmanuel Macron – who remains furious with Australia over its submarine deal – saying only that he will phone him “when the time is right”.

France recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia last week after Morrison axed a $90 billion deal to buy their submarines and instead entered into a new alliance with the US and the UK to buy American nuclear-powered subs.

Scott Morrison on Thursday morning.

After US president Joe Biden phoned Macron on Wednesday to mend fences, Paris announced its ambassador would return to Washington DC next week.

But Morrison told reporters in Washington this morning that he had scheduled no such call to Macron: “The opportunity for that call is not yet. But we’ll be patient …

“We understand their disappointment … it was a difficult decision. It was a very difficult decision. And, of course, we had to weigh up what would be the obvious disappointment to France.

“But at the end of the day, as a government, we have to do what is right for Australia and serve Australia’s national security interests. And I will always choose Australia’s national security interests first …”

“Australia decided not to proceed with a very significant defence contract. And, understandably, we know that France is disappointed about that.”

Government sources told The Daily Telegraph that “offers of a discussion” have been made to Macron through official channels but the approaches have so far been ignored by Paris.

Lines of communication remain open at senior levels of both governments, sources say.

Scott Morrison and Emmanuel Macron in June. Picture: Adam Taylor/PMO

Earlier, Morrison said he had communicated the decision to Macron directly before it was announced.

After a dinner of Wagyu beef and Penfolds shiraz with Morrison, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson used “Franglais” – a bastardisation of French and English – to tell Macron to “prenez un grip” and “donnez-moi un break”.

“I just think it’s time for some of our dearest friends around the world to prenez un grip about this and donnez-moi un break … This is fundamentally a great step forward for global security,” he said.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the US president “acknowledged that there could have been more consultation”.

The president “holds himself responsible” for the rift with France, and not his national security advisor Jake Sullivan, she said.

“It was a friendly call … focused on the path forward and returning to normal.”

Biden and Macron agreed that the situation “would have benefited from open consultations among allies on matters of strategic interest to France and our European partners,” the White House said in a readout of the call, which took place before a virtual meeting of global leaders on the Covid-19 pandemic.

Biden and Macron will meet in Europe at the end of October to mend fences over the submarine deal.

MORRISON AND JOHNSON DINE TOGETHER

Scott Morrison had a “warm discussion” with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson about reopening Australia’s borders for the Ashes and about their new defence alliance over dinner of wagyu beef and Penfolds Shiraz at the Australian ambassador’s residence in Washington DC.

Scott Morrison with Boris Johnson before the remarks to Emmanuel Macron. Picture: Adam Taylor

The leaders discussed “Australia’s progress in combating Covid-19 and deep appreciation for the UK’s vaccine swap, and the expected timeline for reopening to international travel, including for the Ashes.”

Johnson reportedly planned to press Morrison over Tuesday night’s dinner to make a special exception to allow British cricketers into Australia for the Ashes in December.

Morrison was non committal on the topic when asked by reporters before the dinner.

MORRISON VISITS DEFENCE CHIEF AT PENTAGON

At the Pentagon on Wednesday, Scott Morrison thanked America’s defence chief and paid tribute to the 13 US troops killed by a suicide bomber during the chaotic evacuation from Kabul airport in Afghanistan.

“There is no way Australia would have been able to airlift 4100 people out of that terrible site were it not for the sacrifice of the US defence forces,” the PM told US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. “I want to particularly honour those who lost their lives at Abbey Gate where Australians themselves had been standing not that long before”.

Scott Morrison ahead of a meeting at the Pentagon. Picture: Mandel Ngan/AFP

General Austin in turn praised the valour of Australian troops and thanked Morrison for “standing with us to the end of our mission in Afghanistan” and for the 2001 decision of “invoking the ANZUS treaty for the first time and for sending forces to fight shoulder to shoulder with our troops.

“And I have to tell you, Mr Prime Minister, I have fought alongside many of your troops and I’ve been deeply impressed by their skill and courage.”

Austin met with his Australian counterpart Peter Dutton last week to discuss the new “enhanced trilateral security partnership”, aka the AUKUS alliance with the US and the UK under which Australia would buy nuclear-powered submarines in an effort to counter China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific.

“AUKUS is a testament to the strength, resilience and foresight of our relationship,” he said.

The US and Australia have the same “sense of urgency” about challenges in the region and AUKUS will “strengthen our ability to deter threats in a free and open Indo-Pacific”.

Democrat House speaker Nancy Pelosi praised Morrison for his “leadership” on climate change in a bipartisan meeting with congressional leaders at the Capitol.

Scott Morrison and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Picture: Getty Images/AFP

Climate change was the first in a list of “critical priorities” she named for US-Australia co-operation, followed by “the Covid crisis, co-operation on security but also strengthening our relationship in regard to trade and commerce”.

She described the AUKUS alliance as “pretty exciting”.

Morrison also laid a wreath at the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon Wednesday, a week after the 20th anniversary of the al-Qaida terrorist attack on the military headquarters.

He also met Speaker of the House Pelosi, and congressional leaders at the Capitol before meetings with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and with Senate Minority Leader McConnell.