France Seeks To Limit U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner’s Direct Access

France’s foreign minister has requested restrictions on direct access for U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner to members of the French government after he failed to attend a scheduled diplomatic meeting tied to controversial remarks from Washington.

According to diplomatic sources, French officials had summoned Kushner to the Quai d’Orsay headquarters of the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Monday evening. However, he did not appear for the meeting, which was convened following comments by the Trump administration regarding the fatal beating of a far-right activist.

Jean-Noel Barrot, France’s foreign affairs minister, subsequently moved to limit Kushner’s direct access to government officials, citing what he described as “this apparent misunderstanding of the basic expectations of the mission of an ambassador, who has the honor of representing his country.”

Despite the rebuke, the ministry signaled openness to repairing relations.

“It remains, of course, possible for Ambassador Charles Kushner to carry out his duties and present himself at the Quai d’Orsay, so that we may hold the diplomatic discussions needed to smooth over the irritants that can inevitably arise in a friendship spanning 250 years,” the statement said.

The diplomatic summons followed a post by the U.S. State Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau on X, stating that “reports, corroborated by the French Minister of the Interior, that Quentin Deranque was killed by left-wing militants, should concern us all.” The message was also shared by the U.S. Embassy.

Deranque, identified as a far-right activist, died earlier this month from brain injuries sustained during a violent altercation in Lyon. The incident occurred on the sidelines of a student gathering where a far-left lawmaker was speaking. His death has intensified political tensions in France ahead of next year’s presidential election.

“We reject any instrumentalization of this tragedy, which has plunged a French family into mourning, for political ends,” Barrot said over the weekend. “We have no lessons to learn, particularly on the issue of violence, from the international reactionary movement.”

In its statement, the State Department added that “violent radical leftism is on the rise and its role in Quentin Deranque’s death 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.”

This is not the first diplomatic strain involving Kushner. In August, he was also summoned over a letter addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron, in which he alleged that France had not done enough to combat antisemitism. On that occasion, French officials met with a representative from the U.S. embassy after Kushner did not attend in person.