US Ambassador Charles Kushner sends an embassy official instead, marking his second absence from a summons by the French Foreign Ministry.
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France has barred United States Ambassador Charles Kushner from meeting with French government ministers after he skipped a scheduled meeting at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in Paris. This meeting was meant to clarify remarks made by the Trump administration following the recent death of a French far-right activist.
The French Foreign Ministry shared this news on Monday as diplomatic tensions between Paris and Washington continue to rise due to several disagreements, including trade tariffs, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and Europe’s role in countering Russia.
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list of 3 itemsend of list “Given this apparent disregard for the essential duties of an ambassador and the honor that comes with representing one’s country, Minister (Jean-Noel Barrot) has asked that he (Ambassador Kushner) no longer have direct access to members of the French government,” stated the Foreign Ministry. The US ambassador can still perform his diplomatic functions and engage in “exchanges” with officials, according to the ministry. Foreign Minister Barrot summoned Kushner after the US embassy in Paris reposted comments made by the Trump administration regarding the death of far-right activist Quentin Deranque, 23, who was killed during a confrontation with alleged far-left activists-an event that shocked France. Instead of attending Barrot’s summons himself, Kushner sent a senior embassy official in his place due to personal commitments, as reported by AFP quoting a diplomatic source. This wasn’t the first instance where Kushner ignored a summons from the French Foreign Ministry. In August 2025, he was also called to meet after taking issue with his criticism regarding President Emmanuel Macron’s handling of anti-Semitism. The US charge d’affaires went to that meeting instead of Kushner. The US embassy in Paris and the US Department of State have not yet commented on these restrictions placed on their ambassador. Kushner’s refusal to meet with Minister Barrot garnered significant media attention in France on Tuesday. According to France 24, headlines read “tensions are running high” between the ministry and the US embassy.‘We have no lessons to learn’
Kushner, who is also known as Jared Kushner’s father-in-law-President Donald Trump’s son-in-law-has often been at the center of controversy back home. He lost his license as a lawyer after being convicted and serving two years for illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering before being pardoned by Trump. The original social media posts that upset French officials were by the Bureau of Counterterrorism within the State Department. They stated that Deranque’s killing “should concern us all.” The post also warned against what they described as “violent radical leftism” rising in France and its connection to Deranque’s death while stating it “demonstrates how much danger it poses to public safety.” “We will keep an eye on this situation and expect justice for those who commit violence,” it added. Minister Barrot reacted strongly against these comments from Washington saying France doesn’t need advice from outside sources. “We have no lessons to learn,” he said firmly. “Particularly on violence issues from any international reactionary movement,” which led him to summon Kushner for talks on Monday. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also commented on Deranque’s death causing further disputes with Macron who urged her not to comment on events occurring in other nations.Source link
