The United States ended the negotiations with France during the XYZ Affair because (3.) French officials demanded that the United States pay bribes.
The XYZ Affair was a diplomatic incident that involved a conflict between the United States and France in 1797, that is during the presidency of John Adams. The United States tried to negotiate peace with France by sending three delegates to France (Pinckney, Gerry and Marshall); however, once they arrived, French agents told them they had to pay bribes in order to meet with Talleyrand, a French minister. The Americans refused to pay the bribes and the relationship between the two countries became even more tense. Eventually, the XYZ Affair led to the outbreak of the undeclared war known as Quasi-War.