ANALYSIS - Disappointed Sarkozy shifts gaze from Washington

"There is room for the two of us," he said, expecting his enthusiastic embrace of American values, which carries political risks at home, to pay dividends in Washington.

CHIDING OBAMA

But the chemistry never bubbled. Analysts say Obama clearly prefers dealing with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Sarkozy is visibly frustrated by the situation.

Sarkozy's critics say he is jealous of Obama's high profile and hurt by public putdowns -- such as the U.S. president's refusal to dine with him during a visit to Paris last June.

Officials say the disconnect is centred on real issues, such as Obama's attitude to Iran's nuclear ambitions, which has been less hardline than Sarkozy's hawkish stance.

"There is an annoyance about what the French see as naivety in the Obama administration," said Bruno Tertrais, a senior research fellow at the Foundation for Strategic Research.

Sarkozy's frustrations spilled into the open at the United Nations last month, when he appeared to chide Obama publicly.

"I support America's outstretched hand. But what has the international community gained from these offers of dialogue? Nothing but more enriched uranium and centrifuges," he said.