France Bars US Ambassador Kushner from Government Access After Diplomatic Snub

Paris,
France has blocked US Ambassador to France Charles Kushner from direct access to French government ministers after he failed to appear when summoned by the Foreign Ministry — marking a significant rupture between two longtime allies.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot summoned Kushner after the US Embassy in Paris reposted a message from the State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism, which blamed “violent radical leftism” for the beating death of 23-year-old French far-right activist Quentin Deranque in Lyon. The French government viewed the comments as unacceptable foreign interference in a domestic political debate.
Instead of personally attending the summons, Kushner — father of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — sent a senior embassy official in his place, citing personal commitments. It was the second time he had skipped a formal summons from the French Foreign Ministry.
“In light of this apparent failure to grasp the basic requirements of the ambassadorial mission,” Barrot’s ministry said, the minister “has requested that he no longer be allowed direct access to members of the French government.”
Barrot told France Info radio on Tuesday that the ban would “naturally affect his ability to carry out his mission” in France. However, the ministry left the door open, saying Kushner could still present himself at the Quai d’Orsay to smooth over diplomatic tensions.
Later on Tuesday, Kushner telephoned Barrot in what both sides described as a “frank and amicable” conversation. Kushner expressed his willingness not to interfere in French public debate, and the two agreed to meet in the coming days.
This latest episode is part of a broader pattern of diplomatic friction between Trump-appointed ambassadors and European governments. Kushner had previously sparked controversy by writing an open letter to French President Emmanuel Macron accusing France of failing to tackle antisemitism — a move Macron called “unacceptable” for a diplomat.