<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/23/us-ambassador-to-paris-banned-from-meeting-french-ministers-after-no-show>
"Donald Trump’s envoy to Paris has called France’s foreign minister and pledged
not to interfere in the country’s domestic affairs, a day after he was barred
from talking to government officials for failing to attend a formal meeting at
the ministry.
The foreign ministry said on Monday that Charles Kushner would not be permitted
to carry out his diplomatic duties until he had explained his refusal to comply
with the summons over US comments about the killing of a far-right activist in
France.
A ministry official said on Tuesday that the ambassador, whose son Jared is
married to the US president’s daughter Ivanka, had called the French foreign
minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, who had “reiterated the reasons that led to the
summons”.
France “cannot accept any form of interference or manipulation of its national
public debate by authorities of a third country”, Barrot reportedly told
Kushner, who “took note and expressed his willingness not to interfere in our
public debate”.
The official said the two men had agreed to meet in the coming days to
“continue working towards a close bilateral relationship, which celebrates its
250th anniversary this year”. They did not say when Kushner’s diplomatic access
would be restored.
Kushner failed to show up for a meeting at the ministry at 7pm on Monday to
which he had been summoned after the US embassy in Paris reposted state
department comments about the killing of far-right activist Quentin Deranque.
“When you have the honour of representing your country, the USA, in France, as
ambassador, you abide by the most basic customs of diplomacy and respond to
summonses from the foreign ministry,” Barrot said on Tuesday morning.
“I believe all French people share the same feeling,” the minister told France
Info radio. “We do not accept that foreign countries can come and interfere in,
then insert themselves into, our national political debate, whatever the
circumstances.”
Barrot said the incident would “in no way affect the relationship between
France and the United States”, which he said had “weathered other storms”, but
would “naturally affect [Kushner’s] ability to carry out his mission in our
country”."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
