BBC and Reuters reported that on February 23 local time, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that due to U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner's failure to explain his "inappropriate remarks" related to France and his refusal to be summoned by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it had ordered him to be prohibited from contacting the French government.

Kushner is the father of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. Due to the remarks made by the U.S. side regarding the death of French far-right activist Quentin Tarat, which caused dissatisfaction in France, he was summoned by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was scheduled to meet with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna at 7 p.m. local time on February 23.

However, Kushner did not attend that day, stating that he had private arrangements and sent a deputy ambassador from the U.S. Embassy to attend instead, which caused strong dissatisfaction from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs then issued a statement, accusing Kushner of "clearly failing to understand the basic requirements of an ambassador's mission," and stated that Colonna had requested that "Kushner should no longer be allowed to directly contact members of the French government."

U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner IC Photo

On February 12 local time, Tarat was attacked by left-wing extremists while protesting at the Lyon Political Institute and later died. The U.S. Embassy in France commented on the X platform on February 20, saying that "violent left-wing extremism is on the rise in France" and warning that it should be regarded as a public safety threat.

The remarks apparently angered the French government. On February 22 local time, Colonna said, "We oppose any attempt to use this tragedy for political purposes, which has already brought sorrow to a French family."

"We don't need to accept any preaching, especially on issues of violence, and certainly not from international reactionary forces," she added.

A French foreign ministry source said on February 23 that Tarat's death was a "tragedy belonging solely to the domestic public discussion in France," and the French side would not allow this incident to be exploited. Kushner's refusal to be summoned was "clearly against diplomatic basic principles."

This is the second time that Kushner has refused to attend a summons from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In August 2025, he had publicly expressed concern about the increase in anti-Semitic incidents in France and criticized the French government for its inadequate response, and was subsequently asked to explain to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but he also did not attend.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7610263157394752035/

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