The US ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, has been barred from direct meetings with members of the French government after failing to attend a summons at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, diplomatic sources said Monday.
Ron Agam (center) and his wife with Charles Kushner and his wife on Monday at the U.S. Embassy in Paris
The US ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, has been barred from direct meetings with members of the French government after failing to attend a summons at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, diplomatic sources said Monday.
Kushner had been called in following comments published by the US Embassy regarding the death of a French far-right activist - remarks Paris reportedly viewed as interference in a strictly domestic matter. According to officials, “he did not show up,” prompting French authorities to question what they described as a misunderstanding of the basic expectations attached to the ambassadorial role.
While the French Foreign Ministry waited, Kushner was elsewhere, hosting artist Ron Agam, also an editorialist at menatoday.info.
The meeting reportedly offered an opportunity to discuss art and geopolitics, subjects perhaps deemed more stimulating than a formal reprimand from French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
The episode marks the second time Kushner has skipped an official summons. In August 2025, he was asked to explain public remarks criticizing France’s handling of rising antisemitic incidents.
Adding another layer to the diplomatic drama, Kushner is the father of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of Donald Trump and a key negotiator in discussions related to Iran and Ukraine — credentials that may make routine diplomatic protocol appear somewhat secondary.
For Paris, however, diplomatic courtesies still seem to matter. For Kushner, a conversation about art and global strategy apparently took precedence.
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