Western leaders are set Thursday to remember the 1944 World War II D-Day landings in northern France to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation, mindful of the over two-year war raging since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Issued on: 06/06/2024 – 08:11
1 min
French President Emmanuel Macron will host US President Joe Biden, the UK’s King Charles III and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, representing the Allied powers whose troops gave their lives in the landings on the Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944.
They will reflect on the immense sacrifices made by the tens of thousands of troops on the sandy beaches and cliffs of Normandy, often far from their homes, under intense German fire.
But with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joining the Western leaders in Normandy, the ceremonies will provide a hugely symbolic backdrop to talks on how Ukraine can gain back ground after Russian advances.
No Russian official has been invited, underlining Moscow’s pariah status in the West despite the decisive Soviet contribution to defeating Nazism in World War II.
Separate national ceremonies will take place before most of the leaders come together for an international ceremony from 1400 GMT at Normandy’s Omaha beach joined by Zelensky and also German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The most honoured guests will be the surviving veterans. Around 200 are expected, a number that is dwindling every year with most at least in their late 90s and some older than 100. This may be the final major anniversary where they are present.
“If I could go again, I would go again. I’m glad we sacrificed so that others (could) have a good life,” John Mines, 99, who was among the first wave of soldiers on D-Day, told AFP on the ferry crossing the Channel to the events.
“They’re all heroes.”
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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Source link : https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240606-live-western-leaders-veterans-mark-80th-anniversary-d-day-landings-france
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Publish date : 2024-06-06 02:11:20
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