Macron's "subtle" message to Trump

“I am aware that Europe can sometimes be perceived as a slower continent than others,” Macron said to Japanese businesspeople and investors in Tokyo.

“But predictability has its value, and we have demonstrated that over all these years—and I would even dare to say in recent weeks: we are where you know we will be,” he added.

Critique of unpredictable allies

Macron criticized countries that claim to act faster than their allies but are at the same time unreliable.

“You don’t know if the day after tomorrow they will still hold that position, or if tomorrow they will make a decision that could harm you without informing you,” the French president concluded.

AFP notes that this was an obvious reference to the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran, which has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for Japan’s energy imports.

On Tuesday, the U.S. president criticized France on social media, stating that Paris had been “very unhelpful” during the war with Iran.