Biden, Macron Discuss Middle East, Agree on Global Affairs But Differ On Gaza War

Paris: United States President Joe Biden, who is on an official state visit to Paris, held a meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Friday (local time). During the meeting, both leaders emphasized their agreement on ongoing global affairs, including the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. However, they shared different views on the fighting in Gaza, The New York Times reported.
During a media presence, the two presidents declined to take any questions and papered over their stark differences about the Middle East.
They both, however, asserted the enduring strength of the American-French partnership on climate, the economy, European security and cultural ties, The New York Times reported.
“Today, I proudly stand with France to support freedom and democracy around the world,” Biden said after a closed-door meeting at the Elysee Palace.
Highlighting the Russia-Ukraine war, Macron said, “We see eye to eye on this war raging in Ukraine.”
He added that he hoped “all members of the G7 will agree to a USD 50 billion solidarity fund for Ukraine,” referring to the Group of 7 industrialized nations.
French President Macron’s comments suggested that both leaders had reached a common ground over a plan to leverage proceeds from frozen Russian assets to provide an upfront loan of up to USD 50 billion to Ukraine, as reported by The New York Times.
The American officials said heading into the meeting that France was the main holdout for such a plan and that they were hoping to win support during the Paris visit.
Further, Macron, on Gaza, noted his government’s support for an Israeli cease-fire proposal that US President Biden has strongly backed.
The French president, however, also directly challenged Israel to do more to deliver aid to Palestinians suffering from the government’s bombardment.
“It is not acceptable that Israel should not open all checkpoints to humanitarian aid, as requested by the united international community for months,” Macron said, adding that Israeli operations in Gaza “should stop.”
Earlier, France supported the International Criminal Court’s decision to seek warrants for the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza.
US President Biden expressed discontent over any comparison between the two leaders, deeming it inappropriate. Also, there was a turn of events in May when France supported Palestine’s entry as a full-fledged member of the United Nations, a decision that didn’t sit well with the US. Throughout all this, neither Biden nor Macron discussed any points of contention related to the Israel-Hamas dispute.The French president praised President Biden as “a partner who respects Europeans,” a line that sounded like a distinction from former president Donald Trump, who often denigrated European leaders. “Thank you for being at Europe’s side,” Macron added.
“You’ve become a good friend,” Biden responded, according to The New York Times.