PARIS —President Joe Biden He promised this Saturday that the United States will remain “firm” alongside Ukraine, during a visit to France focused largely on the Russian invasion of the former Soviet republic.
Biden participated on Thursday in ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings on June 6, 1944, which helped liberate Europe from Nazi occupation.
The 81-year-old Democrat reiterated on several occasions the value of the alliance with Europe and reiterated that his government defends continuing support for Ukraine, which is facing difficulties on the military front more than two years after the start of the Russian invasion in February. of 2022.
“Putin will not stop in Ukraine (…) all of Europe will be threatened, we are not going to let this happen,” Biden said in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron after a bilateral meeting.
Biden has his sights set on his campaign for re-election in November against former Republican president Donald Trump, who defends more pro-American policies, and Macron faces an electoral test this weekend in the European Parliament elections.
“The loyalty of a partner”
Macron, 46, thanked Biden “for being the president of the leading world power,” but for acting “with the loyalty of a partner who loves and respects Europeans.”
Biden’s state visit to France began on Saturday with a ceremony with Macron at the Arc de Triomphe, where they laid a wreath at the monument of the Unknown Soldier and drove along the Champs-Elysées avenue, escorted by 140 horses and 38 motorcyclists.
Macron then received Biden at the Elysee Palace for a meeting, followed by a working lunch and then a gala dinner.
The war in Ukraine was at the center of the agenda and the conflict also marked the commemoration of “D-Day” and Putin was not invited, contrary to what happened 10 years ago.
Both Biden and Macron met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Friday and promised to maintain support for kyiv.
Biden apologizes
The American president offered Zelensky his “apologies” for the months of negotiations that preceded the complicated adoption by the Congress of a $61 billion aid package to Ukraine.
Among other commitments, Zelensky also got Paris to give him Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets, although the number was not disclosed, and the training of Ukrainian pilots in France, with the aim of being operational by the end of the year.
The war in Gaza emerged as a tougher issue, as the United States is Israel’s main ally and France has distanced itself from the way the Israeli army is carrying out the offensive against the Palestinian terrorist movement Hamas.
In late May, French authorities banned Israeli arms manufacturers from participating in a defense trade fair near Paris.
After the announcement that the Israeli army rescued four Israeli hostages from Gaza, Biden stated that his country will not stop working “until all the hostages are back home and there is a ceasefire.”
Source: With information from AFP
