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| U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron hold a joint press conference at the White House on December 1, 2022. |
US President Joe Biden raised the possibility of dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (December 1) on ending Moscow’s war against Ukraine, but said that he has not seen any will on Putin’s side to stop the invasion, which is currently 10 months long.
Biden held hours of closed-door talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on Ukraine and other issues, after which he told a White House news conference: “I’m ready to talk to Putin, but consult with NATO allies.” I have no plans to contact Mr. Putin right away. I will not act alone.
“There is a way to end this war, and that is Putin’s withdrawal of troops from Ukraine,” Biden said. What he did was disgusting. If he was looking for a way to end the war, he hadn’t done it yet.
Macron said he was confident that the United States would continue to support Ukraine and provide more military and humanitarian assistance.
Macron said: “It’s about our values. The United States supports Ukraine … It is crucial.
Biden said the United States “will never ask Ukraine to compromise” to end the war without the consent of the Kiev government.
Earlier, before the closed-door talks, Biden welcomed Macron’s visit, the first state visit by a foreign leader since Biden took office.
“The alliance between our two countries remains critical to our defense,” Biden said. The United States could not find a better partner than France. He also called France “our oldest ally and unwavering partner in the cause of freedom.” ”
Macron spoke on a sunny and chilly morning in the capital, Washington. Putin’s invasion is in its tenth month, he said, and the U.S. and France “need to be comrades again.”
He said Washington and Paris “share a common belief in liberal and democratic values.”
Although Macron agreed with Biden on the determination of the two countries to support Ukraine, he also expressed strong concerns to Biden about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Congress passed the bill earlier this year, providing billions of dollars to support the U.S. clean energy industry and another initiative to support U.S. semiconductor manufacturers.
Macron told congressional leaders on Wednesday that the move was “super aggressive” for European companies.
“The result of the Inflation Reduction Act is that you may have solved your problems, but added mine,” he said. He also pointed out that Made in France has “exactly the same products as yours.”
At a news conference, Biden said the bill was “never intended” to exclude Europe’s trading partners, noting of U.S. economic growth that “America is back to normal” and “Europe is back to normal.”
Macron said: “France wants the same new manufacturing jobs.
Biden acknowledged that—— in his words, some aspects of the bill may need to be amended, and expressed confidence that U.S. and European negotiators will resolve their differences so that both the U.S. and European economies can prosper.
During Macron’s visit, the etiquette and pomp of foreign leaders during their state visit to the White House were vividly displayed. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greeted Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, before watching a band in colonial-era uniforms play the national anthems of both countries. A 21-gun salute rang out at the scene.
The two presidents and first ladies waved from the balcony of the White House, after which Biden and Macron entered the White House for a substantive conversation. The White House hosted a state dinner Thursday night.
On Wednesday night, the Bidens invited the Macrons to Fiola Mare, an upscale Italian seafood restaurant on the banks of the Potomac River, for dinner.
(This article draws on reports from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters.)
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