France has restricted U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner’s access to senior government officials after he failed to attend a summons from the French Foreign Ministry over comments regarding the death of a French activist.
Speaking Tuesday in an interview with public broadcaster France Info, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Kushner’s decision not to appear at the Quai d’Orsay “will naturally affect his ability to carry out his mission in our country,” and demanded “explanations” from the ambassador.
Barrot described the no-show as a “surprise,” saying that when an ambassador has “the honor of representing your country in France,” they are expected to “respect the most basic practices of diplomacy” and respond to summons from the ministry.
The diplomatic dispute stems from social media posts by official U.S. government accounts following the death of Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old activist who was killed in Lyon earlier this month.
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The Associated Press reported that Deranque, described as a fervent nationalist, was beaten during clashes between far-left and far-right activists and later died of brain injuries sustained in the attack.
“Reports, corroborated by the French Minister of the Interior, that Quentin Deranque was killed by left-wing militants, should concern us all. Violent radical leftism is on the rise and its role in Quentin Deranque’s death demonstrates the threat it poses to public safety,” the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism said in a Feb. 19 post on X. “We will continue to monitor the situation and expect to see the perpetrators of violence brought to justice.”
The U.S. Embassy in France later shared the statement on its official account.
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Barrot said the remarks amounted to an “injunction” toward France and rejected what he characterized as foreign interference in the country’s domestic political debate.
“We have no lessons to learn in matters of maintaining order or public order in matters of violence and we have no lessons to learn at all from the reactionary international, simply,” he told France Info.
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The U.S. Embassy in France told Fox News Digital in a statement on Tuesday that the two sides are in communication.
“Ambassador Kushner and Foreign Minister Barrot, who have met regularly during the Ambassador’s tenure, spoke today in a frank and amicable call, reaffirming their shared commitment to working together, along with all other Ministers and French officials, on the many issues that impact the United States and France, particularly as the two countries celebrate 250 years of rich diplomatic relations,” the statement said.
