By Micah Jonah, February 24, 2026
The United States Ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, has been barred from holding meetings with members of the French government after failing to appear at the Foreign Affairs Ministry where he had been summoned.
Diplomatic sources in Paris confirmed that the envoy was invited to the ministry to address comments issued by the US Embassy concerning the recent killing of a French far-right activist. However, he did not show up.
French authorities said the summons followed the publication of remarks by the US Embassy on a matter they described as strictly internal to France’s national public debate. Officials stated that France would not allow the incident to be externally exploited.
Following his absence, the French Foreign Minister requested that Kushner no longer be granted direct access to members of the French government.
The development is linked to the death of Quentin Deranque, a far-right activist who was reportedly beaten during a clash involving alleged hard-left activists. The incident has sparked widespread reactions within France.
The US Embassy in France and the US State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism had earlier stated they were monitoring the situation, warning that violent radical leftism should be treated as a public safety concern.
This is the second time Kushner has failed to honour a summon from French authorities. In August 2025, he was also called in over public comments regarding anti-Semitic incidents in France and criticism of the government’s response.
As of press time, the United States government has not issued an official statement in response to the restriction placed on its ambassador. Diplomatic observers say the move signals heightened tensions between Washington and Paris.
