International relations pretends to be between nations but it's always between governments. And the other nations try to decide which government they will regard as the nation, most noticeably recently with the two Chinas. The USA still hasn't recogniZed the Friesans who were the first to recognise the USA. But the Friesans refuse to be cowed. (Judging from Duckduckgo, the American version of the previous sentence should be something like "The Friesans have complained until they were horse" )

A different mob took the .fr domain from the royals who had helped the 13 British colonies become the USA. They saw USA as the friend of their enemy the French monarchy. The Babylonian Brotherhood (British royals) recalled the 17th century, when THEY were overthrown and executed by the English republic to the delight (and with the support?) of the French royals and perhaps thought "Serves you blighters* right!" 

Only a brave few Englishmen faced the foul Frenchies to rescue their betters! And all for sport! 

(As perhaps best illustrated in the cinematic "What it means to be English" instruction manual that is the 1937 film "The Scarlet Pimpernell". 

Written, produced & directed by the Hungarian born Korda family, based on the novel by the Hungarian Baroness Emma Orkzy and starring the quintessential English actor Leslie Howard nee Hungarian born Lazlo Steiner!)