The United States ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, has been banned from holding direct meetings with members of the French government. The decision was taken after he failed to appear at the French Foreign Affairs ministry earlier in the day, where he had been officially summoned. Diplomatic sources confirmed the development on Monday.

According to the source, the ambassador was called to the ministry following comments published by the U.S. Embassy regarding the killing of a French far-right activist. French officials were unhappy with the remarks, saying the issue concerns only France’s internal public debate and should not be used by others.

The diplomatic source said, "Following the publication by the U.S. Embassy of comments on a tragedy that occurred in France and concerns only our national public debate, which we refuse to allow to be exploited, Ambassador Charles Kushner was summoned today to the ministry. He did not show up."

The activist who was killed was identified as Quentin Deranque. He was beaten to death during a fight with alleged hard-left activists. The incident shocked the country and led to strong reactions across the political spectrum. Some people described the event as “France's Charlie Kirk moment,” referring to last year's shooting of U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

After the incident, both the U.S. Embassy in France and the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Counterterrorism said they were closely monitoring the case. In a message posted on X, they warned that "violent radical leftism was on the rise" and should be treated as a public safety threat.

French authorities saw these comments as interference in a matter that falls under France’s domestic affairs. Officials felt that such statements could influence or complicate France's internal political discussions.

The diplomatic source further stated, "Faced with this apparent misunderstanding of the basic expectations of an ambassador who has the honour of representing his country, the minister requested that he no longer be allowed direct access to members of the French government." This means that Ambassador Kushner will not be able to meet French government officials directly for the time being.

This is not the first time such an issue has occurred. According to sources, this was the second time the ambassador failed to attend a summons from the French Foreign Affairs ministry. In August 2025, he was also asked to appear before the ministry. At that time, he had publicly expressed concern about the rise in anti-Semitic acts in France and criticised French authorities, saying they were not doing enough to address the problem.

French officials had expected him to explain his remarks during that earlier summons as well. His absence in both cases appears to have added to tensions between the two countries.

The latest move by the French government signals its dissatisfaction with what it sees as repeated diplomatic missteps. By restricting the ambassador’s direct access to government members, France has sent a strong message about respecting diplomatic norms and national sovereignty.

The situation highlights growing sensitivity around political violence and public debate in France. It also shows how diplomatic relations can be affected when comments from foreign representatives are seen as crossing boundaries.

For now, Ambassador Kushner’s direct engagement with the French government remains suspended, while the broader diplomatic relationship between the United States and France continues under increased attention.