The United States walked out of a UN Security Council meeting on Monday during remarks by France regarding Ukraine. The walkout followed a dispute between the two allies over Washington’s vote against extending the mandate of the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk.
France responded to the US position by drawing comparisons to the votes cast by Russia, North Korea, and other authoritarian states on the same measure. The French criticism prompted a sharp reaction from US officials, with Marco Waltz condemning what he characterized as a “stunning social media attack” from France.
The incident represents a rare public escalation between the United States and France on the international stage, highlighting disagreement over approaches to human rights policy and UN governance matters.
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