France recalls its ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia to protest Biden’s submarine deal.

Short of war or breaking diplomatic relations that is the most serious step a nation can take.

“At the request of the President of the Republic, I have decided to immediately recall our two ambassadors to the United States and Australia to Paris for consultations,” said Jean-Yves Le Drian, the foreign minister. “This exceptional decision is justified by the exceptional gravity of the announcements made on 15 September by Australia and the United States.”

The decision by Mr. Macron deepened the rift between the two longstanding allies over the submarine deal, which American and Australian officials kept secret from the French until just before the announcement on Wednesday.

In the statement announcing that the ambassadors would return temporarily to Paris — a severe diplomatic step that is usually used against adversaries — Mr. Le Drian made it clear that his country saw the actions of the two nations as a serious breach of trust.

He said the U.S.-Australia partnership, which will result in the abandonment of a previous submarine agreement between Australia and France, constitutes “unacceptable behavior between allies and partners, the consequences of which affect the very conception we have of our alliances, our partnerships and the importance of the Indo-Pacific for Europe.”

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...the move by the French to recall their ambassador to the United States, Philippe Étienne, in order to consult with other officials about the American decision is the kind of step usually taken to punish another country, signaling a bad relationship.

In March of this year, Russia recalled its ambassador to the United States after Mr. Biden said in an interview that President Vladimir V. Putin would “pay a price” for interference in the 2020 presidential election. Mr. Biden also agreed that Mr. Putin was a “killer.”