The United States delegation to the United Nations walked out of a security council meeting this week during a speech by France that sharply criticized U.S. human rights stances, including comparing U.S. foreign policy to that of authoritarian nations.
A representative for the United States addressed the strained relations between the two longtime allies following the walkout, saying that it would continue to protest France’s actions as long as it sought to second-guess President Donald Trump’s foreign policy priorities.
“This disingenuous grandstanding is tiresome, but we have tolerated it out of a sense of comradery and mutual respect,” said U.S. Ambassador Dan Negrea, who serves as an alternate representative to the U.N.’s General Assembly, adding that the delegation would continue to walk out until France abandons its “condescending and disrespectful rhetoric.”