US walks out on France at UN meeting to protest ally’s criticism of America’s human rights record
UNITED NATIONS: US diplomats walked out as their French counterparts spoke Monday at the United Nations, accusing America’s close European ally of “disingenuous grandstanding” for criticizing the Trump administration’s human rights record.
The surprise move during a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine followed US opposition to giving UN human rights chief Volker Türk another four-year term. The reappointment on Friday got overwhelming support, including from France.
The US walkout reflects not only the more strained relations between President Donald Trump and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, but also wider tensions between the US and Europe. These include questions over Trump’s commitment to NATO, possible changes to US troop deployments in Europe, and Trump’s desire to control Greenland, which belongs to NATO member Denmark.
Trump has complained that Europeans, who weren’t consulted, did not help the US during the Iran war. Amid the tensions, Macron has taken a lead in trying to build up Europe’s military and ensure a nuclear umbrella as one of the continent’s two nuclear powers, along with Britain.
