France and Germany renew alliance, strained by war in Ukraine

PARIS (AP) — France and Germany are seeking to bridge differences exposed by Russia’s war in Ukraine and solidify their alliance with a day of ceremonies and talks Sunday on European security, energy and other issues.

The entire German cabinet is in Paris for joint meetings, and 300 lawmakers from both countries gather at the Sorbonne to celebrate the 60th anniversary of a landmark treaty that cemented the bond between longtime enemies that is at the heart of today’s European Union.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will hold two rounds of talks at the Elysee Palace, focusing first on energy and economic policy, and then on defense.

The top priority is crafting Europe’s response to subsidies to U.S. electric car makers and other businesses under the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, senior French and German officials said.

France wants Europe to stand up to what it sees as Washington’s unfair move. Paris is pushing for the EU to loosen rules on government subsidies to speed up their disbursement, make it easier for the bloc to support investments and create an EU sovereign fund for green industry. However, Berlin warns against protectionism.

On the defense side, the neighbors are expected to discuss military aid to Ukraine, according to French and German officials who are not allowed to give their names publicly due to their governments’ policies.

Both countries have provided significant amounts of weapons, but Ukraine is asking for tanks and more powerful weaponry as the war with Russia drags on.

The war brought to light differences in strategy between the two countries, especially in European negotiations on how to deal with the emerging energy crisis and punish inflation, as well as future military investment.

The Sunday meeting is the first such joint meeting of the government with personal presence since 2019. It was originally scheduled for October, but has been repeatedly postponed.

Officials mark the 60th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty signed by French President and wartime anti-Nazi resistance leader Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer on January 22, 1963.

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Jordans reported from Berlin. Angela Charlton contributed to this report from Paris.

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