President Joe Biden on Friday admitted the submarine deal with Australia was handled ‘clumsy’ and ‘without grace’ as he held his first sit down with President Emmanuel Macron since French fury over the AUKUS pact.
Biden arrived at Rome’s French Embassy and the two men waved to the cameras. They smiled and wrapped their arms around one another, grasping hands, as they showed that their relationship is being repaired after France accused America of stabbing them in their backs for agreeing to sell nuclear submarines to Australia. Paris lost out on a $90 billion deal.
Biden stated that France was an extremely valuable partner.
He shrugged off a question asking if he needed any to apologize to Macron. He said they ‘already spoke’, but he did offer concessions in advance of their meeting.
“I had the impression that France was informed long before that the deal was not going through,” he said about the thwarted submarine agreement that caused so much French fury and that Paris had to recall its ambassadors in the United States of America and Australia.
“I believe what happened was to use an English phrase. What we did was clumsy and not done with a lot grace. Biden admitted that he was mistaken in believing that certain things had occurred.
Macron stated that Macron and Trump were on the same path to repairing Franco American relations.
He stated, “This is the beginning of a journey of trust, of faith which we’re building together.
Macron stated, “We clarified together what was unclear.” ‘Now it’s important to know that such an outcome will not be possible in the future.
He said, “This is an extremely important clarification.” “What we will do together in coming weeks, months, and years is what really matters now.
As President Joe Biden acknowledged that the submarine deal with Australia was handled clumsily and ‘without grace’, he met President Emmanuel Macron for the first time since the French fury over AUKUS pact.
Biden and Macron shook hands, and it appeared that they were on the same path to repairing U.S.-Franco relations
President Biden met President Macron at the French Embassy.
The men waved at the cameras, smiled, wrapped arms around each other, and grabbed hands.
The kumbaya meeting with Macron was part of Biden’s make-up campaign to the French.
The Villa Bonaparte is the French embassy to Rome, where the two leaders met. Their meeting precedes their participation at the G20 summit next weekend.
The Villa was originally the home of Napoleon Bonaparte’s sister Pauline, who had a bathtub carved out of the marble installed so she could bath in donkey milk, which she believed would help keep her looking young. It was made an embassy in 1945.
Biden made two phone calls to Macron before Friday’s meeting. This could have been one of his more awkward sit-downs during his five-day Europe trip.
The White House is putting all its efforts into highlighting the importance of the relationship it has with France, the oldest diplomatic ally of the United States.
Jill Biden hosted a sit-down with Brigitte Macron, the French first lady, on Friday evening in a cafe near Rome, while their husbands had their meet-and greet.
First lady Jill Biden waves when she arrives at a meeting with Brigitte Macron, French first lady, at a café in Rome
Brigitte Macron, the French first lady, arrives to meet Jill Biden
Two phone calls were made by President Biden to Macron before the sit-down, including one in September, as shown above
After the French anger over AUKUS and a deal with Australia, the U.S. and Britian, the United States launched a wooing campaign to France. This resulted Australia purchasing American nuclear subs rather than diesel ones from France.
According to Jen Psaki (White House press secretary), Biden did not apologize to Macron but said that he had acknowledged that there could be greater consultation ahead of the deal announcement.
The French recalled their ambassador to the United States in the fallout although Philippe Étienne eventually returned to his U.S. post.
Separate trips were made to Paris by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to ease tensions. Kamala Harris, Vice-President, will travel to Paris mid-November.
Sullivan stated that he felt very positive about the intensive engagement with France over the past weeks.
He stated that he expected the two leaders to meet in a constructive and substantive meeting. They will discuss counterterrorism, the Indo-Pacific, and energy issues.
After the submarine deal, the French are particularly interested in the Indo-Pacific conversation. This was because of the shift in political alliances in this region.
France is particularly upset about being kept in the dark about this situation, as it has major interests within the Indo-Pacific where France has territories with 2million people and 7,000 soldiers.
The AUKUS deal was a scandal for the French in September. One diplomat claimed that the US had’stabbed France in the back’. Paris lost a $90 billion submarine deal with Australia in the fallout of the new agreement.
The White House claimed that Australia was keeping the French informed about what was happening.
The AUKUS deal is part of American moves to counter China’s growing power in the Pacific region.
The White House is making every effort to emphasize the importance of its relationship France, America’s oldest diplomatic ally, above Macron and Biden at June’s G7.
The agreement was made by Britain and the U.S. to provide Australia with nuclear submarine technology. This was primarily a response to Chinese expansion in South China Sea, where China claims several disputed island.
Australia will receive eight nuclear-powered submarines. This will likely be less expensive than the $7.5billion per vessel France offered for conventional diesel electric submarines. While the exact design of Australia’s subs is still unknown, they will cost about $4.5bn each for US Virginia-class subs and $2.6bn for UK Astute subs.
The deal was announced by the French foreign minister. He said that Donald Trump would be able to do it.
Jean-Yves Le Drian stated that he was reminded a lot by Trump’s brutal, unilateral and unpredictable decisions. I am bitter and angry. This is not possible between allies.