French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed President Joe Biden in Paris on Saturday, with pomp and flag-filled ceremony beneath the Arc de Triomphe.
There will be awkward moments on the state visit for two presidents divided over trade and how to handle the war in Ukraine.
But they and their first ladies greeted each other warmly and shared a joke, before standing shoulder to shoulder under a fluttering French tricolor to honor the nation’s war dead.
It’s a chance for France to return the favor after Biden hosted Macron on a state visit to the White House in 2022. And French media have made a big deal of their guest being in the country for five days. , enjoying the D-Day anniversary.
‘France is… our oldest ally and one of our deepest. And this will be an important moment to affirm that alliance and also look to the future and what we have to achieve together,’ US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.
President Emmanuel Macron greets President Joe Biden for his state visit to Paris on Saturday, with first ladies Brigitte Macron and Jill Biden.
They will discuss Russia’s war with Ukraine, the crisis in Gaza, as well as climate change, artificial intelligence and supply chains, he said.
They are also expected to announce plans to work together in the Indo-Pacific on port security and maritime law enforcement.
Biden and his officials have repeatedly noted that France is the United States’ oldest ally and has sent troops to fight the Revolutionary War against Britain.
“It’s probably good for us to remember that we didn’t get our independence without some foreign aid or foreign assistance, specifically from France,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby put it Friday.
However, that relationship comes with tensions. Macron has repeatedly pressed Biden to go further in his support for Ukraine, even suggesting that he would send French forces to train Ukrainian troops, in a move the US president fears will only escalate Russian aggression.
And, in line with other European leaders, Macron has been much more critical of Israel in its war in Gaza than Biden.
All of this comes with a large dose of Gallic indignation at any hint of American cultural imperialism, along with American exasperation at French sensitivities.
And then there is the potentially thorniest issue of all: trade.
Officials across Europe are enraged by Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. They consider that their subsidies for products manufactured in the United States are a protectionist and unfair measure that makes it difficult for European companies to compete.
The two presidents laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe to mark the start of the state visit.
The Bidens arrive on the Beast. Jill Biden flew back to Paris to be by her husband’s side
The French Republican Guard stands in front of the Arc de Triomphe before a welcoming ceremony with the president of France and the president of the United States, in Paris.
Biden arrived in France on Wednesday ahead of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. On Friday he gave a speech at the Pointe du Hoc World War II ranger memorial.
The issue threatened to overshadow Macron’s state visit to Washington in 2022 and embarrass his hosts.
In a meeting with US lawmakers, Marcon reportedly described it as a “super aggressive” measure against EU competitors.
There was no time for any of that during the official welcoming ceremony. There was a military parade, a flyover of French fighter planes and anthems.
First lady Jill Biden was at the president’s side after flying back to the United States on a whirlwind visit to make sure he was with his stepson Hunter as his trial on weapons charges continues.
While he was away, Biden spent Friday meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris, where he apologized for Congress’ months-long delay in approving tens of billions of dollars in military aid.
Biden met with French military veterans during the ceremony shortly after noon on Saturday.
Later, Biden and Macron are expected to talk about the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.
And then he flew to Normandy to deliver a high-profile speech, connecting the spirit of America’s D-Day heroes to the contemporary fight for democracy.
“Does anyone doubt that they would want the United States to confront Putin’s aggression here in Europe today?” he said.
‘They stormed the beaches with our allies. Does anyone think the Rangers want America to go it alone today?
It was the second visit to the landing beaches in as many days. On Thursday he led tributes at the American cemetery before joining other world leaders at an international ceremony.