PARIS - The United States ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, placed a call to France's foreign minister on Tuesday to state that he did not intend to interfere in France's public debate, a person close to the minister said.
The phone call followed a diplomatic standoff that began when Jean-Noel Barrot, France's foreign minister, on Monday evening barred Kushner from meeting members of the French government. The decision came after the foreign ministry summoned the ambassador in response to comments issued by the U.S. embassy concerning the death of a French far-right activist earlier this month.
The activist, identified as Quentin Deranque, was beaten to death in a confrontation with alleged hard-left activists. The killing has provoked anger and accusations across the political spectrum, at a time when France is just over a year away from its presidential election.
U.S. authorities had publicly indicated they were tracking the case. Both the U.S. Embassy in France and the State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism said they were monitoring developments and used the social platform X to warn that "violent radical leftism was on the rise" and should be treated as a public safety threat.
French officials viewed that U.S. public commentary as interference in domestic affairs. With relations already under strain between Washington and some European partners, Paris moved to make clear that such actions would not be accepted, according to the source close to the foreign minister.
After the call, the source said: "The ambassador acknowledged this, expressed his intention not to interfere in our public debate, and reaffirmed the friendship between France and the United States." The same source added that "The Minister and the Ambassador agreed to meet in the coming days to continue working towards a close bilateral relationship, which celebrates its 250th anniversary this year."
The source did not clarify whether Kushner - who is the father of Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law - would be allowed to meet other members of the French government in the immediate term.
Context and immediate developments
The episode began with an embassy and State Department notice that framed the killing as part of a pattern that raised public safety concerns. That messaging prompted the French foreign ministry to summon the ambassador and to impose temporary limits on his access to government officials.
Following Kushner's phone call and his stated intention to refrain from intervening in French domestic debate, both sides have agreed to meet soon to work on maintaining close bilateral ties.