The highly-discussed AUKUS pact between Washington, London and Canberra to arm Australia with a fleet of nuclear submarines is “reckless” and will only expose the country to danger on multiple fronts, Aussie trade unions said.
Since its announcement a week ago, the trilateral deal to provide Australia with nuclear-powered, yet conventionally armed, submarines has faced a wave of international condemnation. France, which lost a hefty $66 billion contract for diesel-electric subs with Canberra because of the move, labeled it “a stab in the back” and recalled its ambassadors from Australia and the US. China blamed Washington, London and Canberra for the “Cold War mentality” as AUKUS is widely seen as an attempt to counter Beijing’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific. Russia warned that the pact may well end up putting “the entire security architecture in Asia” under threat.