Home

Danish PM defends Biden in AUKUS spat

Stine JacobsenAAP
EU countries should not criticise the US too much, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says.
Camera IconEU countries should not criticise the US too much, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says. Credit: EPA

Denmark's prime minister says she does not believe a new security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States that cost France a defence project is grounds for a trans-Atlantic dispute.

Mette Frederiksen said US President Joe Biden was a loyal defender of European-US ties, breaking ranks with Germany and the European Commission, who on Tuesday sided with France and warned of lost trust with the US.

"I think it is important to say, in relation to the discussions that are taking place right now in Europe, that I experience Biden as being very loyal to the trans-Atlantic alliance," Frederiksen told Danish daily Politiken from New York, where she was attending the United Nations General Assembly.

"And I think in general that one should refrain from lifting some specific challenges, which will always exist between allies, up to a level where they are not supposed to be. I really, really want to warn against this," she added.

France said it was assessing all options in response to Australia's scrapping of a $A90 billion submarine contract last week after the US offered Australia more advanced, nuclear technology.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

The conciliatory tone follows her call in June for better ties between the US and the EU despite a Danish media report that the US spied on French and German leaders through Danish information cables.

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails