France strips US envoy of govt access over missed summons
France says US ambassador Charles Kushner did not appear after being summoned over Trump administration comments on the killing of a far-right activist, prompting Paris to restrict his direct access to officials.
France on Monday moved to block US envoy Charles Kushner from having access to government ministers, after he failed to show up to explain comments about a killed far-right activist.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot summoned Kushner after the US embassy in Paris on Sunday reposted comments by the Trump administration in Washington about Quentin Deranque.
Deranque, 23, died from head injuries following clashes between radical-left and far-right supporters on the sidelines of a February 12 protest against a politician from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party in Lyon.
Barrot on Sunday denounced any attempts to exploit the killing "for political ends" and summoned Kushner for a meeting at 7:00 pm local time (1800 GMT) on Monday.
But a diplomatic source told AFP that the ambassador - whose son, Jared, is married to President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka - sent a senior official from the embassy in his place, citing personal commitments.
"In light of this apparent failure to grasp the basic requirements of the ambassadorial mission and the honour of representing one's country, the minister (Barrot) has requested that he (Kushner) no longer be allowed direct access to members of the French government," the foreign ministry said.
Kushner would, however, be permitted to continue his diplomatic duties and have "exchanges" with officials, it added in a statement.
The US Embassy in Paris and the US State Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau had earlier said they were monitoring the case, with both warning on X that “violent radical leftism is on the rise” and should be treated as a public safety threat.