French spat with US ambassador

France’s spat with the US ambassador to Paris took another turn on Tuesday with the French foreign minister saying the top US diplomat in France must respond to a summons and won’t have access to French Government officials until he complies.

French authorities had summoned Ambassador Charles Kushner — the father of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner — for a meeting on Monday evening over comments from the Trump administration that France objected to. French diplomats said Kushner did not show up.

Speaking on Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot described the failure to attend the meeting as “a surprise” that flew in the face of diplomatic protocol and will dent Kushner’s ability to serve as an ambassador. “It will, naturally, affect his capacity to exercise his mission in our country,” Barrot said, speaking to public broadcaster France Info.