US diplomats walk out as France addresses UN Security Council | Articles of Controversy

The US has criticized France for being “disrespectful” over its human rights statements

United States diplomats walked out of a United Nations Security Council meeting on Russia’s war against Ukraine as French delegations entered the floor.

Monday’s move came two days after an online exchange between US and French officials over a vote in Washington against renewing the four-year term of UN human rights chief Volker Turk.

The UN General Assembly in Geneva wrote on Saturday that the US was no longer a “human rights activist” and withdrew along with North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali and Russia.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz responded on X that France voted for a liberal leader who “has been talking about free, independent democracies like the United States, the UK, and Israel, while siding with the world’s biggest oppressors”.

After the visit, Dan Negrea, the US representative, told the council that his delegation would continue until France renounced the “insult and disrespect”.

The French ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, did not mention the visit in his speech, saying that France is working to protect the rights of the UN and its ability to act.

Turk, who has criticized the violation of international law by Israel and the US in Palestine and Iran, was re-elected by the UN General Assembly with 144 votes in favor, 10 against and 13 against.

The administration of US President Donald Trump cut funding to the UN and withdrew from most UN organizations starting in 2025. He also threatened to review the actions of the Turks.

Washington and Paris also clashed The cost of NATO, business plan and Trump’s threats to be in Greenlandpart of NATO member Denmark.

France, along with other European countries, was also angry with Trump for refusing to take direct part in the US-Israel war against Iran.