Emmanuel Macron will ask Joe Biden to take more account of the damage caused to the European economy by the war in Ukraine in his political decisions, saying that the EU and the United States must work together more to manage the impact of the conflict and coordinate their policies towards China.
According to the Élysée, the French president will deliver the message when he is welcomed from Wednesday by Biden for a three-day state visit – the first of Biden’s presidency and the second of Macron, having been invited by Donald Trump in 2018.
While the White House and the Elysée have underlined the close ties between the United States and France and the agreement on big issues such as the war in Ukraine, the two parties say that economic and geopolitical tensions are brewing which won’t be easy to solve.
The war is taking a heavy economic toll on Europe than on the United States due to soaring energy prices caused by Russian export cuts, while EU officials say the package $369 billion in green subsidies from Biden threatens the bloc industry.
Although Russia’s invasion forced the Biden administration to refocus on Europe, the United States still sees fighting China over economic competition and security as its top strategic priority.
Macron criticized the green package, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, and expressed irritation over the United States’ sale of natural gas to Europe at inflated prices. Such behavior “is not in accordance with World Trade Organization rules and is not friendly,” Macron said this month, promising to address both issues during his trip.
John Kirby, spokesman for the United States National Security Council, said on Monday that the Biden administration would discuss France’s concerns over the legislation with Macron. “We want to understand the concerns. We are absolutely open to having this conversation and finding a way to resolve these issues,” he said.
“But it’s not a zero-sum game. . . Clean energy is a tide that lifts all boats the closer we can move to a clean energy economy around the world,” he added. “And there’s a lot of opportunity for everyone in there.”
Macron has long argued for Europe to pursue greater “strategic autonomy” in its economic and security affairs, and has often warned of the risks of relying too heavily on the United States if it were to take another isolationist turn. .
“What we will say to Americans is that in the current environment, we need to be more robust together . . . and while we cannot all have the same policies on China, a resynchronization is needed in our political agendas. “, declared an official of the Elysée.
Asked what Macron would try to achieve regarding the IRA on behalf of the EU, the official declined to give details.
Gérard Araud, France’s ambassador to the United States from 2014 to 2019, said it would be difficult for Macron to make much progress on the IRA or energy prices, but the visit would nevertheless be an important diplomatic moment. .
“A state visit is all pomp and circumstance, but it also indicates how much the United States considers France to be a key partner in Europe,” he said. “With the UK no longer in the EU and Germany more internally focused, Macron is an important interlocutor for Americans as they continue to support Ukraine while seeking ways to end the war.”
According to French and American officials, Macron and Biden will discuss how to handle the challenges ahead in Ukraine, including sending additional military and civilian aid and avoiding any escalation with Russia. The two countries said only Kyiv can decide if and when to negotiate with Moscow and that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected.
Macron’s efforts to keep a diplomatic channel open to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are seen as helpful by Washington, according to a US official.
“The war in Ukraine has made the United States take the partnership between China and Russia more seriously, so they want to counter it with better alliances globally,” said Maya Kandel, US affairs specialist. at the New Sorbonne University Paris 3. The Biden administration wants Europe to be stronger, and France is a key part of that.
The meeting comes as the United States steps up efforts to mend relations after France was left in turmoil last year over its exclusion from the Aukus security pact, aimed at countering Chinese power in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia has canceled a large order for nuclear submarines from the French naval group and opted instead for American-made ships under the pact, which also includes the UK.
Macron accused the United States of treason and recalled the French ambassador. Biden admitted the US handling of the episode was “clumsy” during a joint meeting in Rome last October.
Nicole Bacharan, a political scientist at Sciences Po, said the row had left scars in Paris but the two allies had no choice but to reconcile given the conflict in Ukraine. “On the war, the United States and France are basically on the same line,” she said.
Additional reporting by Aime Williams and Felicia Schwartz in Washington
