US Walks Out of UN Security Council in Row With France
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- US delegation walked out of a UN Security Council meeting on Monday while France's ambassador Jerome Bonnafont was speaking during an emergency session on Russia's war in Ukraine.
- The dispute was triggered when the US joined North Korea and Russia in voting against extending Volker Turk's term as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
- France's UN mission posted on X after the vote: "The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore," directly comparing Washington's position to authoritarian states.
- US ambassador Mike Waltz accused France of voting for a human rights chief who was "lecturing" democratic countries while "cozying up to the world's worst oppressors," without elaborating.
- Turk's second term passed with 144 states in favor, 10 against, and 13 abstentions; US ambassador Jeff Bartos warned of "consequences" and said the US would "immediately reassess our engagement, participation, and funding."
- US ambassador Dan Negrea said the delegation would continue staging similar protests until France "renounces their condescending and disrespectful rhetoric."
Why it matters: The walkout deepens a widening US-UN rift: the Trump administration has already cut funding and withdrawn from dozens of UN entities, and now a traditional ally like France is being publicly rebuked at the Security Council. With 144 states backing Turk's reappointment, the US stands nearly isolated, and the threat to reassess UN funding puts budget pressure on the broader human rights apparatus.
