June 8 (UPI) — French President Emmanuel Macron hosted U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday for a state visit, where the two leaders discussed a shared vision on the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.
“We know what happens if [Russian President Vladimir] Putin succeeds in subjugating Ukraine. … And we know Putin isn’t going to stop at Ukraine – it’s not just Ukraine, it’s about much more than Ukraine. All of Europe will be threatened. We’re not gonna let that happen,” Biden told reporters.
He added: “The United States is standing strong with Ukraine. We will not, I say it again, walk away.”
Macron later praised Biden and the United States for the “critical role” they are playing in Ukraine’s defense from Russia’s offensive.
Macron and Bidenh met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Friday, where the U.S. president announced a new $225 million aid package for Kyiv and apologized for Washington’s delay in providing weapons.
Macron also publicly backed Biden’s peace proposal to end hostilities between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
In addition, the two leaders spoke in consensus about needing to address escalating military tensions arising from Iran.
“This week, we have shown the world once again the power of allies and what we can achieve when we stand together,” Biden said during the news conference
Neither president elaborated on specifics related to any of the topics, and didn’t take questions from reporters.
Biden was in Paris after traveling to France to mark 80 years since the World War II D-Day landings in Normandy. The two men met privately following a D-Day ceremony and before meeting the media Saturday to show solidarity.
“As America’s oldest Ally — for nearly 250 years — France has been a like minded and dependable partner in all of the world’s greatest challenges,” the White House said in a statement.
Biden in 2022 hosted Macron at the White House in what was the first state dinner of his presidency.
Since that meeting, the United States and France have signed bi-lateral partnerships related to clean energy, the environment, space and quantum computing among others.
In the evening, they were to attend a state dinner at the Élysée Palace. I