PARIS (Reuters) - France started having serious doubts on its 40 billion submarine contract with Australia in June, while the U.S. never answered any questions related to the deal, the Elysee presidential palace said on Monday.

       The Elysee also said that there had been no hint of any contract canceling when French president Emmanuel Macron met Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Paris in mid-June.

       Australia said last week it would cancel an order of conventional submarines from France and instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and British technology after striking a security partnership with those countries under the name AUKUS.

       (Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau; Writing by Matthieu Protard; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)