France has summoned the U.S. ambassador to Paris, Charles Kushner, following his “unacceptable” comments criticizing French President Emmanuel Macron. The diplomat had accused Macron of a “lack of sufficient measures” in the fight against antisemitism.
In a statement, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared the ambassador’s accusations to be “unacceptable,” noting they “violate international law, specifically the duty of non-interference in the internal affairs of States, as provided for by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”
The United States, however, has refused to backtrack on the diplomat’s remarks. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott stated, “We stand by his statements,” referring to Ambassador Kushner, who is the father-in-law of former President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka. “Ambassador Kushner is our U.S. government’s representative in France and is doing an excellent job promoting our national interests in that role,” Pigott affirmed.
The Italian political party Lega also commented on the affair. Paolo Formentini, head of the party’s foreign department, referenced previous French protests over League leader Matteo Salvini’s comments against the French president. “First there was the overreaction to Matteo Salvini’s simple and respectful opinions against sending European soldiers to Ukraine, now this attack against the United States concerning antisemitism and the summoning of the ambassador,” Formentini stated. “The international situation is very delicate and requires common sense and a cool head: we trust that everyone will find the necessary composure, and that in Paris they will avoid investing more time to summon the ambassadors of half the world.”
The party continued its criticism on social media, posting: “Paris first summons the Italian ambassador, then summons the American ambassador… who’s next?!?”