Despite having been mostly "spared" in the initial blowback, the U.K. is bracing itself for "a more substantive French response to the loss of its $66 billion submarine deal with Australia," and is expecting "potential long-term ramifications" in the two countries' alliance, Bloomberg reports, according to British diplomats.
Officials have warned British government leaders that their relationship with France "could get complicated," per Bloomberg. Furtheremore, Paris might "reassess" its relations with NATO and China, while "pushing the European Union harder to develop the capability to act independently from the U.S." The French government is also expected to "remain committted" to the Indo-Pacific while simulatenously viewing the situation as a "key strategic moment akin to the 1956 Suez crisis," Bloomberg reports.
In the wake of the snub, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has attempted to smooth over tensions between the two western allies, saying Monday that he is "very proud" of his country's relationship with France and that "our love for France is ineradicable," per CNBC.