Biden holds first call with French President Macron since diplomatic crisis erupted

President Joe Biden spoke for the first time Wednesday with French President Emmanuel Macron after a major diplomatic crisis exploded between the two longtime allies over a deal to equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

In the 30-minute call, Biden appeared to acknowledge missteps in how the United States approached the talks. A joint statement between the United States and France afterward said Macron and Biden “agreed that the situation would have benefitted from open consultations among allies on matters of strategic interest to France and our European partners.”

“President Biden conveyed his ongoing commitment in that regard,” the statement said.

The rare, if indirect, admission of error was a signal of how seriously both sides are taking the diplomatic dispute, which has led to the lowest point in relations between the United States and France since the “Freedom Fries” era at the start of the Iraq War.

In their call, Biden and Macron agreed to meet in person at the end of next month in Europe. Biden had already planned to attend a Group of 20 summit in Rome at the end of October and an official said the assumption is that the meeting between the two leaders will take place there.

“The two leaders have decided to open a process of in-depth consultations, aimed at creating the conditions for ensuring confidence and proposing concrete measures toward common objectives,” the statement read.