France: US ambassador banned from direct access to government members

Washington (USA), 23 February (LaPresse) – French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has banned US Ambassador Charles Kushner from direct access to government members. Kushner, who is the father of US envoy Jared Kushner and father-in-law of Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, did not show up today at the Foreign Ministry after comments by the US State Department on the killing of right-wing militant Quentin Deranque. The Quai d’Orsay announced in a statement that “in light of this apparent misunderstanding of the fundamental expectations of the mission of an ambassador, who has the honour of representing his country”, Kushner will no longer have direct access to members of the government. However, the ministry left open the possibility of reconciliation: “It remains possible, of course, for Ambassador Charles Kushner to carry out his duties and report to the Quai d’Orsay, so that we can hold the diplomatic discussions necessary to smooth over the annoyances that can inevitably arise in a 250-year-old friendship,” the statement said, as reported by The Guardian.