Macron welcomes Biden to pomp-filled state visit in Paris as the two try to overcome differences on trade, Ukraine and Gaza

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed President Joe Biden in Paris Saturday, with a pomp and flag-fuelled ceremony beneath the Arc de Triomphe.

There will be awkward moments in the state visit for two presidents divided on trade and how to handle the war in Ukraine.

But they and their first ladies greeted each other warmly, sharing a joke, before  standing shoulder to shoulder beneath a fluttering French tricolor to honor the nation's war dead.

It is a chance for France to return the favor after Biden hosted Macron for a state visit at the White House in 2022. And the French media have made much of the fact that their guest is in the country for five days, taking in the D-Day anniversary. 

'France is ... our oldest and one of our deepest allies. And this will be an important moment to affirm that alliance and also look to the future and what we have to accomplish together,' U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.

They will discuss Russia's war with Ukraine, the crisis in Gaza, as well as climate change, artificial intelligence and supply chains.

They will also announce plans to work together in the Indo-Pacific on port security and on maritime law enforcement.

Biden and his officials have repeatedly pointed out that France is the oldest ally of the U.S., sending troops to fight in the Revolutionary War against Britain.

Yet that relationship comes with strains. Macron has repeatedly pushed Biden to go further in his support for Ukraine, even suggesting that he would send French forces to train Ukrainian troops in a move the American president fears would only escalate Russian aggression.

And, in line with other European leaders, Macron has been far more critical of Israel in its waging of war in Gaza than Biden.

That all comes with a big dose of Gallic indignation at any hint of American cultural imperialism, coupled with U.S. exasperation at French sensitivities. 

First lady Jill Biden was at the president's side after flying back to the U.S. in a whirlwind visit to make sure she was with stepson Hunter as his trial on gun charges continues.

While she was away, Biden spent Friday meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris, where he apologized for a months-long delay by Congress in approving tens of billions of dollars of military aid.

And then he flew to Normandy for a much-trailed speech, connecting the spirit of the U.S. heroes of D-day with the contemporary fight for democracy.