(Washington) Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron demonstrated in Washington on Thursday their desire to seek a solution together in Ukraine, but without cutting back on their support for Kyiv, during a state visit overflowing with diplomatic affection.
“I am ready to talk to Putin if he is looking for a way to end the war. He hasn’t done it yet, ”said the American president during a joint press conference with his French counterpart in the middle of the day.
He also stressed that any discussion with the Russian president would be “in consultation with my French and NATO friends”.
“We will remain united to (us) oppose the brutality” of Russia in Ukraine, the 80-year-old democrat said again, as the conflict enters its tenth month, and especially in a harsh winter season.
The French president, whose positions on the matter have in the past aroused incomprehension, even a certain irritation from the Americans, told him that he would “never push the Ukrainians to accept a compromise which would be unacceptable for them” concerning the Russian aggression, because that would not make it possible to build “a lasting peace”.
PHOTO SUSAN WALSH, ASSOCIATED PRESS
French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden during a joint press conference at the White House.
In a joint statement, the two countries assured that they would continue to provide Kyiv with “political, security, humanitarian and economic assistance for as long as necessary”.
Trade frictions
Whether during their press conference or during the more solemn moments of Emmanuel Macron’s state visit, the first organized by the Biden administration, the two leaders displayed the most radiant understanding.
Forgotten, the open crisis of September 2021, when Washington blew a huge order for Australian submarines under the nose of the French.
It’s time for coordination, even on perhaps the most contentious topic on the agenda: Joe Biden’s energy transition policy, which unashamedly gives priority to American jobs and “made in the USA” products. .
All this, with massive subsidies deemed “super aggressive” on Wednesday by Emmanuel Macron, who fears that they will compromise Europe’s projects for green energy and industrial recovery.
“I make no apologies for this legislation,” said Joe Biden, promising however to fix the “defects” of his “Inflation Reduction Act”, pharaonic investment plan in green energy, especially in electric cars.
Joe Biden has pledged that job creation in the United States will not be “at the expense of Europe”.
On the French side, we wanted to see it as an “opening” and a “major advance” which justifies the “offensive tone” of the last few days – even if no exemption has been concretely promised for European industries at this stage.
The Europeans must now, for their part, “go faster and stronger” to have “the same ambition” as the Americans, demanded Emmanuel Macron.
The White House deployed all its pomp on Thursday to celebrate Franco-American friendship, while the two men tried to temper the pomp with a more personal touch.
Why did you choose Emmanuel Macron for his first state visit? “Because he’s my friend,” Joe Biden said simply as he walked towards the Oval office, while the French president laid his arm friendly on his shoulder.
“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”
“Our common destiny is to respond together” to the challenges of the world, said Emmanuel Macron, shortly after the Marseillaise, then the American anthem had sounded on the lawns of the White House, on a radiant and icy morning.
Joe Biden ventured to pronounce, in French, the motto “Liberty, equality, fraternity”.
The day ended with a State dinner with which the Americans intended to demonstrate France on the culinary level. The White House sacrificed 200 lobsters and presented exclusively American wines and cheeses.
Among the approximately 350 guests, the popess of my fashion Anna Wintour, the actress Jennifer Garner and the musician John Legend.
Under a large, sumptuously decorated tent erected in the gardens of the White House, the two presidents exchanged a toast in front of the microphones, with a “vive la France” in French from Joe Biden to which replied “long live the friendship between our two countries” Mr. Macron.
The two presidents earlier exchanged, as tradition dictates, gifts. On the French side, one of the present is, inevitably, romantic: a vinyl of the soundtrack of the film “A man, a woman”.
It is said that Joe and his wife Jill Biden went to see this work by Claude Lelouch – present at the state dinner – during their first date.