US walks out of UN Security Council meeting after France compares it to North Korea and Russia over human rights vote

The walkout

On Monday, the United States delegation walked out of a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine as French ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont began to speak. Dan Negrea, the US alternate representative, said the exit was a direct protest against what he called "disingenuous grandstanding" and a "tiresome hypocritical posture" from Paris. Such a departure from the Security Council chamber is extremely rare and shows the depth of the rift between the two permanent members. The walkout occurred during a session on Russia's war in Ukraine, a conflict in which France and the US have been aligned in supporting Kyiv.

“A member of this Council feigns moral outrage and pretends to lecture everyone on every subject, whether it's the conflict we are still discussing today or issues unrelated to peace and security, like human rights. That is why we walked out during France's intervention.”

The vote that ignited the dispute

The clash was triggered by a vote in the UN General Assembly on Friday, 24 July, on extending the mandate of High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk by four years. The United States was one of ten countries that voted against the extension, aligning itself with North Korea, Russia, Nicaragua, Mali and Israel. The measure, proposed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, passed with 144 votes in favour and 13 abstentions. Washington had requested a postponement of the vote, citing procedural disagreements and accusing Türk of overly political management. US officials also claimed Guterres rushed the timeline to secure "four years of salary for his longtime friend."

In favour144

Against10

Abstentions13

In favour

144

Against

10

Abstentions

13

Data from the article text

Hours after the vote, France's UN mission in Geneva posted a sharp rebuke on X, in English. The message said the United States was once a model for human rights but now finds itself "alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali and Russia. Isolated. And the world no longer listens." The French message, posted in English, was aimed at a global audience.

A war of words

Negrea rejected the comparison, insisting that the US had stood by France in every conflict that threatened its freedoms and remained "the model of freedom in the world." He declared that Washington would not grant Paris "the privilege of listening to their politicised drivel" until it renounced its "condescending and disrespectful rhetoric" and behaved in a dignified manner. Negrea added that Washington had previously tolerated France's "tiresome hypocritical posture" out of respect between permanent members, but that patience had run out.

“We have stood by this member state in every conflict that threatened its freedoms. And today I want to remind them that the United States remains the model of freedom in the world.”

French ambassador Bonnafont responded by invoking history. Noting that this year marks the 250th anniversary of the United States, he said "everyone knows the role France played in that." He added that France acts within the UN, both in the Security Council and the General Assembly, to preserve the institution, its independence and its capacity to act in service of the UN Charter.

“This year we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. And everyone knows the role France played in that.”

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz also weighed in, accusing France of backing a human rights chief who criticises democratic nations like the US and Israel while "cozying up to the world's worst oppressors." He did not elaborate further.

Broader US-UN tensions

The confrontation is the latest sign of deepening friction between the Trump administration and the United Nations. Washington has cut funding for UN agencies and withdrawn from dozens of UN entities. The administration had threatened to reassess its funding and engagement after the Türk vote. Rights groups argue that the high commissioner's post is more critical than ever as autocracies gain influence globally.