The US may block France's new ambassador over Washington's criticism of human rights - Reuters
Kyiv • UNN
The US is considering delaying or blocking the candidacy of France's ambassador after Paris criticized the state of human rights in the US. The step could deepen the rift between allies.
The United States is considering postponing or even blocking the candidacy of Emmanuel Macron for the position of France's new ambassador to Washington after Paris's public criticism of the human rights situation in the United States. Four sources told Reuters, reports UNN.
Details
Although no decision has been made yet, sources said that France's criticism, expressed in a social media post by its mission to the UN, has sparked genuine anger among some senior officials in the Trump administration.
In its Saturday post, the mission criticized the U.S. for joining Russia, North Korea, and seven other states in voting against a proposal to extend the mandate of UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk for another four years.
Türk is an outspoken critic of Israel's actions in Gaza, which contradicts Washington's position. He has also called for an investigation into the deaths of individuals held in U.S. immigration custody.
"The U.S. used to be a model of human rights compliance. That is no longer the case. The world no longer listens to them," the French mission to the UN said in its post after the vote on extending Türk's term.
The United States is deeply disappointed by the irresponsible and disrespectful rhetoric of the French. We are responding appropriately to their comments
A U.S. step to postpone or reject the candidacy of France's ambassador would be highly unusual and could deepen the rift between the allies.
French President Emmanuel Macron has submitted documents to appoint Aurélien Lechevallier, currently chief of staff to Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, as the next French ambassador to Washington. Paris hopes to appoint him by September, one source said.
The process of appointing an ambassador in Washington is strictly regulated. Before a foreign government can appoint its representative, it must first obtain confidential consent from the U.S. According to diplomatic sources, Washington rarely delays candidates or publicly rejects them, and issues are usually resolved privately before an official decision is made.