White House denies a Biden-Macron rift: Leaders ‘have a warm and close relationship’

Though they’re both staunch believers in alliances who are married to educators, US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron haven’t always gotten on like peas and carrots.

First, there was that awkward moment in late 2021 when Biden teamed up with the leaders of Australia and the UK to announce that the Aussies were ditching a deal to buy French-made submarines in favor of a new plan to buy nuclear-powered ones with American and British tech.

And there was that other time in 2022 when Macron pressed Biden and other Nato leaders to let him hold his own set of talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin in an effort to head off what the US believed was an imminent invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces.

Another tiff took place during a recent phone call between the two leaders, when Biden pushed back on Macron’s stated desire to potentially position French troops in Ukraine. An attack on French troops there by Russian troops could escalate the conflict into a third world war, Biden warned.

Biden is a rock-ribbed atlanticist; Macron has long pushed for Europe to demonstrate autonomy from the US on security matters. One is the only member of the Silent Generation to lead his country at 81 years of age; the other is a relatively youthful member of Generation X at 46.

But despite these differences, the White House says the relationship between the leaders of the US and its oldest ally is just fine, thank you very much.

When pressed on the “level of trust” between Biden and Macron by a reporter during Friday’s press briefing, White House National Security Adviser John Kirby said there’s no handwringing required about the Franco-American bromance.

“With all due respect, they have a warm and close