At the UN, the American delegation leaves a meeting of the Security Council after French criticism
Tense sequence at the United Nations (UN). American diplomats left a Security Council meeting concerning Ukraine on Monday, July 27, when the French ambassador spoke, in reaction to comments comparing the United States to North Korea and Russia a few days earlier over a vote organized on human rights.
“A member of this Council plays moral indignation and claims to give lessons to everyone on all subjects, whether concerning the conflict which we are still discussing today (Ukraine)or issues unrelated to peace and security, such as human rights. This is why we left during France’s intervention”explained Dan Negrea, deputy American ambassador.
The American representative denounced a “boring hypocritical posture” of Paris, which Washington had until then “tolerated” because of the respect between the permanent members of the Council. Such an exit from the Council is extremely rare.
“Condescending and disrespectful rhetoric”
The origin of the quarrel dates back to Friday when the United States was one of ten countries – along with North Korea, Russia, Nicaragua and Mali – to vote in the General Assembly against the renewal for four years of the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, accusing him of “ spending his time lecturing free and sovereign democracies like the United States who enforce the laws and secure their borders.” The Austrian was finally reappointed thanks to the massive support of 144 votes, including that of all the member countries of the European Union. But the American vote provoked strong French criticism.
“The United States was once a model for human rights. This is no longer the case. Today, they find themselves alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali and Russia. Isolated. And the world no longer listens to them »posted on X, in English, the French mission to the United Nations in Geneva, provoking the wrath of the American delegation three days later.
“We have stood by this member state during every conflict that threatened its freedoms. And today, I want to remind them that the United States remains the model of freedom in the world.”insisted Dan Negrea on Monday in New York. “Therefore, we will not grant them the privilege of listening to their politicized ramblings until they abandon their condescending and disrespectful rhetoric and behave in a dignified manner.”he added.
Deteriorated relationships
“This year we are celebrating the 250the anniversary of the United States. And everyone knows the place that France took there”replied the French ambassador, Jérôme Bonnafont. He also assured that France was working at the UN, whether in the Council or the General Assembly, “to preserve this institution, its independence, its capacity for action in the service of the charter, in the service of human rights, and in the service of peace”.
This episode reflects not only the deterioration of relations between the American president, Donald Trump, and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, but also the broader tensions between the United States and Europe.
Among these are questions concerning the American commitment to NATO, possible changes in the deployment of American troops on the Old Continent and the Republican’s desire to control Greenland, a Danish territory, a NATO member. Donald Trump has also repeatedly deplored the fact that the Europeans, not consulted, did not support the United States during the war in Iran.
