US diplomats staged a walkout during a United Nations security council meeting on the Ukraine-Russia war on Monday after France criticized the country's human rights record under Donald Trump.
The walkout came days after the Trump administration cited "forced labor" allegations as it imposed sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries. Critics accused the US president of leaning on the claims as a "convenient" justification for the new duties, which were unveiled on Thursday.
The following day, the Trump administration criticized the credibility of the UN human rights system and opposed the reappointment of Volker Türk, the UN human rights chief, prompting an extraordinary intervention on social media from France's UN mission in Geneva.
France's social media post
"The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore," the French Geneva mission said in response. "Today, it stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated. And the world no longer listens to it.
"#AmericaAlone," it added.
In response, US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz wrote on X on Sunday: "It is disappointing – though not surprising – that this is how France deflects on its shameful vote to coddle some of the worst human rights abusers."
"France voted for someone who has been lecturing, free, sovereign democracies like the United States, the UK, and Israel, while cozying up to the world's worst oppressors," Waltz added.
UN human rights chief reappointment
Last March, Türk said he was "deeply worried by the fundamental shift in direction" in the US. In June, Türk called for "prompt, independent, impartial and effective investigations" into deaths occurring in US government immigration custody.
In addition to the US, nine other countries voted no to Türk's re-appointment, including Russia, North Korea, Israel, Nicaragua and Mali. His re-appointment was ultimately approved, with 144 countries including France, China and the UK in favor, while 13 countries abstained.
US deputy ambassador's remarks
During Monday's meeting, US deputy ambassador Dan Negrea claimed that the US "remains the beacon of liberty for the world".
"As such, we will not be affording them the benefit of listening to their politicized drivel until they renounce their condescending and disrespectful rhetoric and behave in a manner commensurate with their seat on this council," said Negrea.
France's UN ambassador, Jérôme Bonnafont, did not mention the walkout, instead saying: "The United Nations was created with the goal of working towards international peace and security, human rights and development," according to the Associated Press.
"All of that forms the spirit in which France works within the United Nations … to preserve this institution, its independence, its ability to act in service of the charter and act to serve human rights and peace," Bonnafont said.
Tariffs and forced labor criticism
The US walkout occurred amid bipartisan criticism of Trump's use of "forced labor" as "a pretext" for imposing new tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% on imports from more than 80 countries. Those include longstanding allies such as the UK, Canada, Australia, and the European Union, alongside Mexico, India and China.
Richard Neal, the top Democrat on the House's ways and means committee, said: "Forced labor is a real and pervasive problem in our supply chains and demands serious enforcement. It should never be cheapened into a pretext for a tariff policy built on dubious legal theories and personal grievances."
