France, July 29 -- The walk-out, during a meeting on Ukraine, came days after the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly supported Turk's reappointment as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for another four years, despite opposition from the US.

The vote on Friday was 144-10 in favour, with 13 abstentions. France supported Turk, while the US was among those who voted against him.

As the UN human rights chief is not chosen by the Security Council, the US cannot use its veto to block the appointment. Washington can vote against Turk, lobby other countries and make its objections clear - but it cannot stop his reappointment on its own.

The walkout, however, reflects more than a dispute over a single UN post.

It comes amid wider tensions b...