US diplomats exit UN Security Council chamber during French address on Ukraine
Tensions between the Trump administration and Paris escalate following a walkout at the UN, marking the latest fracture in transatlantic relations over governance and human rights standards.
United States diplomats withdrew from a United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday while France’s delegation addressed the body regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine. The departure occurred during a speech by French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont, who stated that France was working to preserve the independence of the United Nations and its capacity to act. Bonnafont did not reference the absence of the US delegation during his remarks.
Dan Negrea, an alternate US representative, confirmed the exit and stated that the delegation would continue to walk out until France renounced what it termed “condescending and disrespectful rhetoric.” Negrea characterised France’s comments as politicised and disingenuous, highlighting the deepening diplomatic friction between the two permanent members of the Security Council.
The incident follows a sharp public exchange between US and French officials over Washington’s vote against renewing the four-year term of UN human rights chief Volker Turk. Turk, who has previously criticised violations of international law by Israel and the US in Palestine and Iran, was reappointed by the UN General Assembly with 144 votes in favour, 10 against, and 13 abstentions.
France’s UN Mission in Geneva responded to the US position by stating that Washington was no longer a “beacon of human rights.” The mission described the US as standing isolated alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali, and Russia. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz replied on X, accusing France of supporting a rights chief who lectures democracies like the US, UK, and Israel while “cozying up to the world’s worst oppressors.”
This diplomatic rupture reflects broader strains between the Trump administration and the United Nations. Since 2025, the administration has cut funding to various UN agencies and withdrawn from dozens of entities, having previously threatened to reassess its engagement over Turk’s mandate. Additional points of contention between Washington and Paris include disputes over NATO spending, trade policy, Trump’s threats to occupy Greenland, and European refusal to participate directly in the US-Israel war on Iran.
