France moves to bar US Ambassador Charles Kushner from direct government access
PARIS (AP) — France’s top diplomat received a letter Monday from the U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner Direct access to members of the French government is no longer allowed after they skipped a meeting to discuss the Trump administration’s comments on the matter He beat a far-right activist to death.
French authorities were summoned Kushner According to diplomatic sources, he did not go to Quai d’Orsay, where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located, on Monday evening.
Foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot moved to restrict Kushner’s access “in light of this apparent misunderstanding of the fundamental expectations of the mission of an ambassador who has the honor of representing his country.”
However, the ministry left the door open to compromise.
“Of course, it remains possible for Ambassador Charles Kushner to perform his duties and be present at the Quai d’Orsay so that we can have the diplomatic discussions necessary to resolve the discomforts that will inevitably arise in a friendship spanning 250 years,” the statement said.
Kushner was summoned after a statement by the Counterterrorism Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the X channel stating that “The reports confirmed by the French Minister of Internal Affairs that Quentin Deranque was killed by left-wing militants should concern all of us.” The US Embassy published this statement on social media.
Deranque, far-right activist dies from brain damage as a result of a beating in Lyon, France, this month. He was attacked during a fight on the sidelines of a student meeting where a far-left MP was the keynote speaker.
His murder underlined the emergence of an environment of deep political tension in the coming period. next year’s presidential vote.
“We reject the use of this tragedy, which left a French family in mourning, for political purposes,” Barrot said in a statement over the weekend. he said. “We have no lessons to learn from the international reactionary movement, especially regarding violence.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in its post that “violent radical leftism is on the rise and its role in the death of Quentin Deranque demonstrates the threat to public security.” “We will continue to monitor the situation and expect the perpetrators of violence to be brought to justice.”
Kushner was summoned in August for his letter. French President Emmanuel Macron He claimed that the country was not doing enough to combat antisemitism. Foreign officials of France met with the representative of the US ambassador due to the diplomat’s absence.
