France restricts US ambassador’s access to officials after summons no-show 

France has banned United States Ambassador Charles Kushner from meeting French government ministers, after he failed to attend a meeting at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in Paris to explain comments made by the Trump administration following the recent killing of a French far-right activist.

The French Foreign Ministry announced the decision on Monday, as diplomatic relations between Paris and Washington continue to deteriorate amid several disagreements, including on trade tariffs, the war in Ukraine and the role of Europe in countering Russia.

“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 (Jean-Noel Barrot) has requested that he (Ambassador Kushner) no longer be allowed direct access to members of the French government,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The US ambassador can continue his diplomatic duties and have “exchanges” with officials, the ministry added.

Foreign Minister Barrot summoned Kushner after the US embassy in Paris reposted on Sunday comments by the Trump administration in Washington about the death of far-right activist Quentin Deranque, 23, who was beaten to death in a fight with alleged far-left activists, in an incident that shocked France.

Instead of personally answering Barrot’s summons, Kushner sent a senior official from the embassy in his place, citing personal commitments, the AFP news agency reported, quoting a diplomatic source.

It was not the first time that the ambassador had refused a summons issued by the French Foreign Ministry.

In August 2025, Kushner was also called to the ministry after the French government took exception to his criticism that French President Emmanuel Macron was not tackling anti-Semitism.

The US charge d’affaires attended that meeting instead of Kushner.

The US embassy in Paris and the US Department of State have yet to comment on the measures imposed on the ambassador.

Kushner’s refusal to meet the minister made the front pages of French newspapers on Tuesday, the France 24 news outlet reported, with headlines declaring “tensions are running high” between the ministry and the US embassy.

‘We have no lessons to learn’

Kushner, the father of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, has been a lightning rod of controversy in the US.

He had previously been stripped of his licence as a lawyer after being convicted and jailed for two years for illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering.

He was later pardoned by Trump.

The original posts on social media that angered the French government, and were later shared by the US embassy, were made by the US State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism, saying the killing of Deranque “should concern us all”.

The post further warned against the rise of “violent radical leftism” in France and its role in Deranque’s death, saying it “demonstrates the threat it poses to public safety”.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and expect to see the perpetrators of violence brought to justice,” it added.

Minister Barrot reacted angrily to the US administration’s comments, saying France did not need a lecture.

“We have no lessons to learn, particularly on the issue of violence, from the international reactionary movement,” he said, as he announced that he was summoning Kushner for a meeting on Monday.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has also weighed in on Deranque’s death, triggering a war of words with Macron, who urged her to stop “commenting on what happens in other countries”.