Tellingly, Macron found few swift voices of support among European allies when Australia scrapped a mega defence deal for submarines from France. The silence pointed to deep opposition among central and European countries with Macron's vision of European defence autonomy and a reduced reliance on U.S. military protection from Russia. But she was always careful to avoid the kind of defiant rhetoric that Macron has been accustomed to, the diplomats said. All five senior diplomats Reuters spoke to said many EU countries were now coming round to Macron's ideas. Brexit too has shifted the dynamics within the bloc as France prepares to take up the rotating presidency of the EU in January.
