Le Monde: France compared the United States to North Korea and Russia
American diplomats defiantly left the Security Council meeting when French Permanent Representative Jerome Bonnafon took the floor, writes Le Monde. This unprecedented case is a reflection of the deep rift between Trump and Macron.
The French mission to the UN in Geneva compared the United States on social media with North Korea and Russia because of the vote on human rights.
A tense episode at the United Nations. On Monday, July 27, American diplomats left the Security Council meeting on Ukraine at the moment when the Permanent Representative of France, Jerome Bonnafon, took the floor. This is how they reacted to comments made a few days earlier, in which the United States was compared to North Korea and Russia in connection with the organized vote on human rights.
"One of the Council members feigns moral indignation and undertakes to lecture everyone on any issue: on the conflict that we are discussing today [Ukraine], and on issues unrelated to peace and security, such as human rights. That is why we left the hall during France's speech," explained Dan Negrea, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States.
The American representative condemned the "tiresome hypocritical position" of Paris, which Washington has so far "tolerated" out of respect for the permanent members of the Council. Such a demonstrative withdrawal from a meeting is extremely rare.
"Condescending and disrespectful rhetoric"
It all started on Friday with a vote at the General Assembly. The United States, North Korea, Russia, Nicaragua, Mali and several other countries opposed the extension of the mandate of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. Washington accused him of "constantly lecturing free and sovereign democracies like the United States, which enforce laws and protect their borders." The Austrian was eventually re-confirmed thanks to the overwhelming support of 144 votes, including all EU countries. However, the US position has been sharply criticized by France.
"The United States used to be a benchmark in the field of human rights. This is no longer the case. Today, they find themselves in the same company as North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali, and Russia. In isolation. And the world is no longer listening to them," wrote France's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva. Three days later, this post provoked the anger of the American delegation.
"We have always stood by this country when its freedoms were in danger. And today I want to tell them: the United States is still the main defender of freedom in the world," Dan Negrea insisted on Monday in New York. "We will no longer listen to their politicized speeches until they change their tone to a respectful one and start behaving with dignity," he added.
The relationship is deteriorating
"This year we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. Everyone knows what role France played in this," French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafon replied. He also assured that France is working at the UN, both in the Security Council and in the General Assembly, "to preserve the UN as an institution, its independence, and its ability to act in the name of the Charter, in the name of human rights, and in the name of peace."
This episode reflects not only the deterioration of relations between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron, but also broader tensions between the United States and Europe.
Among the problems are questions about America's commitment to NATO, possible changes in the deployment of American troops in Europe, and the Republican's desire to take control of Greenland, the territory of Denmark, a NATO member. Donald Trump has also repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that the Europeans, with whom he did not consult, did not support the United States during the war in Iran.
