British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged France to “take control” after Paris spent days in an angry response to being sidelined by a new security agreement between the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.

Johnson on Wednesday praised the trio’s deal, which led Australia to cancel a multi-million dollar deal with France to build conventional submarines, as “a fundamentally important step for global security.”

Instead, Australia will get at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with American and British technology as part of the New Indo-Pacific Tripartite Security Agreement called AUKUS.

“They are three like-minded allies standing side by side to create a new technology sharing partnership,” Johnson told reporters in Washington, DC.

“I think it is time for some of our dear friends around the world to get rid of this and not break again,” he added, citing the French expression for “clenching a fist” and a combination of French and English in the sense of ” Give me a break.”

Johnson said the deal was “not exclusive” and rejected suggestions that it was an attempt to counter China’s growing influence.

“It’s very difficult for me to see something in this deal that I don’t like,” he said.

Macron and Biden speak

Johnson’s comments came after France withdrew its ambassadors from the United States and Australia last week, saying it was surprised by Canberra’s decision to develop submarines with the United States and the United Kingdom rather than commit to a contract for 2016 for French diesel boats.

No such move was taken for London, and French Europe Minister Clement Bonn cited that it was because the UK had been a “junior partner” in the deal and subordinate to Washington on foreign policy issues after Brexit.

But French Defense Minister Florence Parly withdrew from scheduled talks with her British counterpart Ben Wallace, to be held in London this week.

Officials from the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have tried to quell the anger of France by assuring Paris that it will remain a vital ally.

US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron met by phone on Wednesday for the first time since the dispute began. The Elysee and the White House said in a joint statement that the two leaders agreed to meet at the end of next month and that France would return its ambassador to Washington next week.

The statement said the two leaders “decided to open an in-depth consultation process to create the conditions to ensure trust.”