Biden vs Macron: First meeting since submarine dispute

By SYLVIE CORBET and ZEKE MILLER
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — One of President Joe Biden’s toughest meetings at the G-20 summit may be with the leader of America’s oldest ally: France. Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron will huddle Friday in Rome as Paris is still seething over a U.S.-British submarine deal with Australia. The contract left France in the lurch and rattled Europe’s faith in American loyalty. It’s their first face-to-face meeting since the scandal. Macron is expecting Biden to make a new “commitment” to supporting French anti-terrorist operations in the Sahel region of Africa. The two leaders are also set to discuss new ways to cooperate in the Indo-Pacific. Other topics on the agenda include China, Afghanistan, and Iran.