Paris summit: Biden and Macron tackle crisis hotspots, clash on trade

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden in Paris on Saturday for a state visit, where they discussed critical issues such as the Middle East conflict, Ukraine and trade.

Macron emphasized the need for both countries to prevent a regional escalation of Israel’s conflict with Hamas and focus on easing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. Macron highlighted their joint efforts to avoid a regional explosion, particularly in Lebanon, where Hezbollah is an influential Iran-backed political movement and militia.

Biden praises Israel’s rescue op

Biden and Macron praised the recent rescue, during which 200 Palestinians were killed and 4 hostages rescued by Israeli forces and reaffirmed their commitment to working towards the release of all hostages and achieving a ceasefire. Biden’s support for Israel has faced criticism from his political base due to the high number of Palestinian casualties, impacting his re-election campaign.

Strong relations

Despite past tensions over a submarine deal with Australia, Biden and Macron share a strong relationship, particularly in their united stance on supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression. They released a joint “roadmap” to utilize frozen Russian assets to aid Kyiv, a move that has raised concerns among some countries but is making progress within the G7.

U.S. committed to Ukraine

Biden underscored broader implications of Putin’s war, stressing the threat to all of Europe and reaffirming the U.S. commitment to Ukraine and its allies, including France.

Trade issues, particularly the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which was also a significant topic of discussion. Macron expressed ongoing concerns about the IRA’s impact on European economies, despite discussions and efforts to align U.S. and European regulations and investment levels.

The IRA, seen as protectionist by European officials, continues to be a contentious point in transatlantic relations.