France imposed strict restrictions on US Ambassador Charles Kushner’s contacts with French ministers and officials after the diplomat ignored an official summons to the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
According to the French Foreign Ministry, the ambassador failed to appear for a meeting on Monday evening, February 23, summoned by Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. Kouchner sent a senior embassy official in his place, citing personal circumstances. In response, the French authorities announced that Kouchner would no longer have direct access to members of the government.
“A person who does not understand the basic requirements of an ambassador’s mission and the honor of representing their country cannot count on normal diplomatic protocol,” the ministry said in a statement. It emphasized that the ambassador retains the right to perform other diplomatic functions and conduct “exchanges” with lower-level officials.
The summons was prompted by publications from the US Embassy in Paris that reposted comments from the Donald Trump administration regarding the death of 23-year-old far-right activist Quentin Deranque in Lyon. The young man died on February 14 from injuries sustained after being beaten on February 12 during a clash between far-right groups and suspected anti-fascists on the margins of La France Insoumise MEP Rima Hassan’s conference at Sciences Po Lyon. The US side characterized the incident as a sign of “the rise of violent left-wing extremism” in France, which Paris viewed as unacceptable interference in domestic affairs and the politicization of a criminal investigation.
The scandal has intensified given that this is the second such incident: in August 2025, Kouchner also failed to appear for a summons from the Quai d’Orsay after criticizing Emmanuel Macron’s handling of anti-Semitism.
On Tuesday, February 24, Kouchner called Barrot and assured him that he did not intend to interfere in French internal debates and respected the Franco-American friendship. The two sides agreed to meet in person in the coming days to defuse the situation.
The diplomatic incident adds further tension to the already difficult relationship between Paris and the new Trump administration, particularly amid disagreements over NATO, European autonomy, and aid to Ukraine.