The United States ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, has been barred from meeting French government ministers after failing to attend a summons at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Paris, according to diplomatic sources.
Kushner had been called to explain comments issued by the U.S. Embassy and the State Department regarding the killing of a French far-right activist, an incident that has intensified political and diplomatic strains.
French officials said the ambassador did not appear at the scheduled 7 p.m. meeting and instead sent a senior embassy official, citing personal commitments.
The ministry described the absence as a failure to meet the basic expectations of his diplomatic role and moved to restrict his direct access to senior officials.
The dispute follows the death of Quentin Deranque, 23, who died from head injuries after clashes between radical left and far-right supporters during a protest in Lyon on February 12.
Six men have been charged in connection with the killing, and a parliamentary assistant to a lawmaker from the leftwing France Unbowed party has been charged with complicity.
The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism said it was monitoring the case, warning that “violent radical leftism” was on the rise and should be treated as a public safety threat.
It added, “We expect to see the perpetrators of violence brought to justice,” and the U.S. Embassy posted a French translation of the remarks.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot denounced efforts to politicize the case, stating, “We reject any instrumentalization of this tragedy, which has plunged a French family into mourning, for political ends.”
French authorities indicated this was the second time Kushner had failed to appear when summoned.
In August 2025, he did not attend a meeting after publicly criticizing what he described as insufficient action against rising antisemitism in France.
Despite the restriction, the Foreign Ministry said diplomatic exchanges would continue through ministry officials to manage tensions in a bilateral relationship spanning 250 years.
The killing has also sparked a diplomatic disagreement between France and Italy after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the death as “a wound for all of Europe,” prompting criticism from President Emmanuel Macron over comments on French domestic affairs.