U.S. walks out on UN meeting following France’s human rights criticism

U.S. diplomats staged a walkout from a United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday, a move triggered by criticism from France regarding the Trump administration's human rights record. The U.S. delegation departed as French counterparts were speaking during a session focused on Ukraine.

This abrupt action occurred shortly after the U.S. had opposed the reappointment of UN human rights chief Volker Türk for another four-year term. Despite U.S. objections, Türk's reappointment received strong support, including from France, in a vote held on Friday.

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The U.S. used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore. Today, it stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated. And the world no longer listens to it.

The walkout underscores the increasingly strained relationship between the United States and France, reflecting broader tensions between the U.S. and Europe. These wider issues include concerns about President Donald Trump's commitment to NATO, potential shifts in U.S. troop deployments in Europe, and disagreements on international policy.

Following the walkout, Deputy U.S. Ambassador Dan Negrea accused France of hypocrisy, stating they feigned "moral outrage" and lectured the world on human rights. He asserted that the U.S. had historically supported France but would no longer tolerate such criticism. The French UN Mission in Geneva had previously criticized the U.S. stance on Türk's reappointment, tweeting that the U.S. now stands "alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated."

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The United States has stood by France in every conflict where its 'freedom has been imperiled' and tolerated its grandstanding 'out of a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect,' he said, but no more.