President Joe Biden did his best to rekindle the bromance with Emmanuel Macron on Friday but the French president offered a cool response as he suggested the U.S. might have to do more to repair wounded relations.

According to the Associated Press: “We are rebuilding trust again,” he told French reporters following the meeting. 

“Trust is like love. Declarations are fine, but proof is better.”

This is a poetic version of “trust but verify”. 

They had smiled together in public and wrapped their arms around each others to show the world they were in good spirits after France’s fury at AUKUS and the loss of a submarine deal. 

However, Macron’s rather Gallic answer – which sounds for all the world just like a French lover who is unsure if he can ever trust him again – could mean that Biden will need to take action and not just speak warm words.

Macron was sternly looking at Biden at one point during their meeting. The U.S. president reached across to touch Biden’s arm in a show bonhomie.

Biden admitted to Washington that Washington had handled the situation in a clumsy manner after they met at the French embassy Rome. 

Biden stated that France was an extremely valuable partner. 

He shrugged off the question about whether he should apologize to Macron, saying that they had ‘already spoken’ but that he did offer concessions his French counterpart.

President Emanuel Macron said: 'Trust is like love, declarations are good, but proof is better,' after meeting with President Joe Biden in Rome

After meeting with President Joe Biden in Rome, President Emanuel Macron stated that trust is like love. Declarations are good, but evidence is better.

He said that he was under the impression France had been informed well before the deal was to be made. This was in reference to the failed submarine deal that caused so much French fury, that Paris recalls its ambassadors to Australia and the United States. 

“I believe what happened was – to use an English expression – we did it clumsily and not with a lot grace. Biden admitted that he was mistaken in believing that certain things had occurred.

“I honestly to God didn’t know you hadn’t been.” [informed]”Yes, he told Macron. 

Later, a senior administration official described U.S. French relations as’moving forward.  

‘I don’t worry at all about instability or drift in the us-France relationship,’ said the official.

They also jointly issued a long joint statement outlining areas for cooperation, such as the Indo-Pacific region and technical assistance. 

‘The United States and France intend to intensify cooperation on space issues, which will be further discussed during Vice President Harris’ upcoming visit to Paris,’ it said.

Macron stated that they are on the right track to repair Franco-American relations.

He said, “This is very much a beginning of a trust process, of confidence which are we building together.”

Macron said, “We clarified together the things we needed to clarify.” “Now, what’s important is that we are certain that such a situation won’t be possible for our 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.

Biden and Macron shook hands and appeared to be on the path of repairing U.S.-Franco relations

Biden and Macron shook hands, and it appeared that they were on the same path to repairing U.S.-Franco relations

President Biden went to meet with President Macron at the French Embassy

President Biden met with President Macron at France’s Embassy.

The two men waved for the cameras, smiled, wrapped their arms around each other and grasped hands

The men waved to the cameras, smiled, wrapped arms around each other, and grabbed hands.

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) welcomes US President Joe Biden (L) before their meeting at the French Embassy to the Vatican

French President Emmanuel Macron (R), welcomes Joe Biden (L), before they meet at the French Embassy in the Vatican

Biden and Macron walk into their meeting with their arms around each other

Biden and Macron embrace one another as they walk into their meeting

The kumbaya meeting with Macron was part of Biden’s  make-up campaign to the French.

The Villa Bonaparte, which is located in the heart of Rome, was where the leaders met. It is the French Embassy to the Vatican. They will be attending the G20 summit this weekend, so their sit-down is a good opportunity to get together.

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 making every effort to emphasize the importance of its relationship and friendship with France, America’s oldest diplomatic ally. 

Jill Biden hosted a sit down dinner with Brigitte, the French first lady on Friday evening at a Rome cafe while their husbands had a meet-and-greet. 

Biden described the meeting with her French counterpart as ‘amazing’. It’s nice to have two friends, just like sisters.

First lady Jill Biden waves as she arrives for a meeting with French first lady Brigitte Macron at a cafe in Rome

First lady Jill Biden waved as she arrived at a cafe in Rome to meet with Brigitte Macron, the French first lady.

French first lady Brigitte Macron arrives to meet Jill Biden

Brigitte Macron, the French first lady, arrives to meet Jill Biden

First lady Jill Biden and French first lady Brigitte Macron after their sit down in Rome

After their meeting in Rome, Jill Biden was first lady and Brigitte Macron was first lady.

President Biden held two phone calls with Macron ahead of the sit down, including one in September as shown above

Two phone calls were made by President Biden to Macron before the sit-down, one in September, as shown above

After the French anger over AUKUS and a deal with Australia, the U.S. and Britain, the United States began 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 Antony Blinken, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to ease tensions. Kamala Harris, Vice-President, will travel to Paris mid-November.

Sullivan said to reporters that he and France feel very happy about the intense engagement they’ve had over the past few 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 angry that it has been kept in dark about the situation because it has major interests at the Indo-Pacific, which France holds territories with 2million people (and 7,000 troops).

In September, the French were furious about the AUKUS agreement. One diplomat claimed that the US had’stabbed’ France in its 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 an all out effort to emphasis the importance of its relationship with France, the United States' oldest diplomatic ally - above Macron and Biden at the G7 in June

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 largely seen as an attempt to stop Chinese expansion in South China Sea. China claims several disputed island territories. 

Australia will receive eight nuclear-powered submarines. This will likely be less expensive than the $7.5billion per vessel France was offering for its conventional diesel-electric submarines. Although the exact design and cost of Australia’s submarines are still unknown, US Virginia-class nuclear submarines cost approximately $4.5bn each while UK Astute-class submarines cost $2.6bn each.

At the time of the announcement, the French foreign ministry stated that the deal was something Donald Trump would make. 

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.