"I say to Donald Trump, and the French president [Emmanuel Macron] also says to him: we do not participate in the US debate, leave us to be engaged in the life of our nation," Le Drian told the LCI broadcaster.
READ MORE: 'Ridiculous': Trump Links Riots in France to 'Expensive' Paris Climate Deal
The Trump's statement referred to raging "Yellow vest" protests, named after the obligatory attribute of French drivers, which have been shaking both the mainland country and its overseas territories since November 17. Discontent was sparked by rising gasoline prices, which were set to go up further in 2019 under the government's policies on fighting emissions.
The mentioned Paris climate deal, created within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, went into force on November 4, 2016. It has been ratified by 184 of the 195 signatories to the accord. The deal aims to keep the increase in average global temperature at below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels by means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.