BORIS Johnson has hailed Emmanuel Macron a "tres bon buddy" after Liz Truss risked a fresh spat with France.
The Foreign Secretary had sparked a dust-up by saying the "jury is out" on whether the French President was a "friend or foe".
Bruised Macron recoiled at the pot-shot and hit back that, while the two countries would always be pals, sometimes this was "in spite of the leaders".
He said if Ms Truss could not bring herself to call him an ally, "we are going to have a problem".
Outgoing PM Mr Johnson tried to defuse the row yesterday by heaping praise on his Paris counterpart.
The fluent French speaker said: "Emmanuel Macron est un tres bon buddy de notre pays.
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"I think the relations between the UK and France are of huge importance. They have been very good for a long time, ever since the Napoleonic era basically, and I think we should celebrate that.
"As for Emmanuel, I've had very good relations with him and I can tell you something: he's a great, great fan of our country."
Ms Truss, who as Foreign Secretary is Britain's top diplomat, refused to walk back her remarks today despite warnings it could sour relations with our closest neighbour.
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Top supporter Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi insisted she had made "a light-hearted comment with a touch of humour."
But critics accused her of needlessly inflaming tensions, that will be tested even further as Brexit and migrant crossings flares up.
Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy blasted: "To insult the President of one of Britain’s closest allies shows a woeful lack of judgement."
German Ambassador Miguel Berger added: "I would say that the relationship with France is of crucial importance for the United Kingdom, so my recommendation would be really to look for a relationship that is as close as possible."
Told about her comments yesterday, shocked Macron took a long pause before telling reporters: "If the French and British are not capable of saying whether we are friends or enemies – the term is not neutral – we are going to have a problem.
"So yes of course the British people, the nation which is the United Kingdom, is a friend, strong and allied, whoever who its leaders are and sometimes in spite of the leaders and the small mistakes they can make in their speeches."
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