France Mocked U.S. for Human Rights Vote, Then Quietly Apologized

France moved to defuse a dispute with the United States over a social media post, apologizing Friday after previously mocking Washington’s position in a UN human rights vote. The episode followed the Trump administration blocking a new French ambassador to Washington and freezing approval for the next nominee after France compared the U.S. with North Korea and Russia in July. After seven weeks of U.S. pressure, France backed down, allowing Aurélien Lechevallier to proceed as ambassador, replacing Laurent Bili. The row began July 24 after the UN General Assembly renewed Volker Türk’s mandate despite U.S. opposition.