France, U.S. 'allied' but 'not always aligned,' analyst says ahead of Biden D-Day visit

Record ID: 1821551

  • Title: France, U.S. 'allied' but 'not always aligned,' analyst says ahead of Biden D-Day visit
  • Date: 4th June 2024
  • Summary: DONETSK REGION, UKRAINE (FILE - MAY 1, 2024) (REUTERS) ARTILLERY SERVICEMEN PUSHING SHELL INTO US-MADE M777 HOWITZER BARREL HOWITZER FIRING SHELL SOLDIERS LOADING SHELL
  • Embargoed: 18th June 2024 16:02
  • Keywords: Biden D-Day France Inflation Reduction Act US gaza macron ukraine war
  • Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
  • City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA007765303062024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:With just a few days to go until the D-Day's 80th anniversary, France is also gearing up for United States President Joe Biden's first official visit to the country, set to start on Saturday (June 8).
    Biden will attend events in Normandy on Thursday (June 6) and then head to Paris, where French President Emmanuel Macron will welcome him.
    At the top of the agenda will be Ukraine and Western efforts to support the embattled country, as both the U.S. and France have allowed Kyiv to use some of the weapons they provided it with, to strike targets on Russian soil.
    "Macron, having taken the initiative on the idea of sending military instructors on Ukrainian soil, greenlighting the use of French weapons to strike Russian territory… All of that has allowed... Biden to not be leading that effort, but to leave it to Europeans to take the lead," Senior Vice President for Geostrategy at the German Marshall Fund, Alexandra De Hoop Scheffer, told Reuters.
    The war in Gaza will also be covered by the two leaders, with Biden's recent peace plan garnering growing support, including from Macron.
    "I think there is a recognition on both sides that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu has been escalating way too much and that what's going on the ground is unacceptable," De Hoop Scheffer said.
    While she stressed France and the U.S. have been long-time friends and allies, the researcher said their policies were "not always aligned."
    Tensions, for example, still remain high around American protectionism, she said, with Macron and Europe still pushing against incentives given by Washington to attract foreign companies.
    The American Inflation Reduction Act and the attractiveness it has given the country was already one of Macron's main concerns during his 2022 state visit to the U.S. capital.
    (Production: Manuel Ausloos, Louise Dalmasso, Mathilde Cousin)
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