WASHINGTON—Trans-Atlantic ties are starting to fray as French President
Emmanuel Macron
and other European leaders chafe at new U.S. policies they say compound economic woes fueled by the war in Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis.
Russia’s war in Ukraine has reinvigorated the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and ignited a boom in trade and investment between the U.S. and Europe. But after nearly a year of unity as the U.S. and its allies confronted the fallout from Russian President
‘s invasion of Ukraine, European officials are starting to express frustration at their increasing reliance on Washington for security and economic stability.
The U.S. has stepped in to help replace Russia as one of the continent’s biggest natural-gas purveyors, but its shipments of liquefied natural gas have come with much higher prices, straining Europe’s manufacturing base. Europe also needs Washington’s support to bolster its defenses and avoid direct confrontation with Russia—an escalation that would leave Europe on the front lines.
The economic and geopolitical concerns are expected to top the agenda when Mr. Macron arrives in Washington late Tuesday at the start of a four-day official state visit, the first by a foreign leader since President Biden’s election.
Mr. Macron plans to press the president on reducing the risk of a wider conflict between Russia and the West over Ukraine, French officials said. The French leader wants to find a way of ending the war around the negotiation table, not the battlefield, a French official said, adding that it is up to Ukraine to decide when and how to negotiate with the Russians.
Mr. Biden has sought to avoid the perception that he is pressuring Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky
to negotiate an end to the war, repeating a mantra often echoed by White House officials: “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.”
U.S. officials said the president has a close relationship with Mr. Macron, despite the disagreements between the two countries. Mr. Biden chose France for his first state visit to underscore the importance of the U.S.’s ties with its oldest ally, officials said.
Mr. Macron considers the Inflation Reduction Act, which is set to come into effect in January, a threat to European industry, according to…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at WSJ.com: World News…