OMAHA BEACH, France, June 6, 2024 (BSS/AFP)** - On the 80th anniversary of D-Day, US President Joe Biden issued a stark warning about the global risks to democracy, as leaders commemorated the pivotal 1944 landings in Normandy that played a crucial role in defeating Nazi Germany during World War II.
Amid the backdrop of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Biden, Britain's King Charles III, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and French President Emmanuel Macron honored the tens of thousands of Allied troops who stormed the Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944.
The commemorations provided a symbolic setting for discussions on aiding Ukraine's efforts to reclaim territory from Russian advances, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joining the international ceremony.
Biden emphasized the importance of international alliances, pledging unwavering support for Ukraine against Russia. This stance sharply contrasts with his election rival, former president Donald Trump, who has questioned the significance of organizations like NATO.
"We're living in a time when democracy is more at risk across the world than at any point since the end of World War II," Biden stated. "Isolationism was not the answer 80 years ago and is not the answer today. Real alliances make us stronger—a lesson that I pray we Americans never forget."
Biden assured that under his leadership, the United States would continue to support Ukraine, warning that abandoning Ukraine would lead to broader threats in Europe. He described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "tyrant bent on domination" and declared that surrendering to bullies or dictators was "simply unthinkable."
Kyiv has been urging Europe to increase military support, as Russia has recently gained ground on the battlefield. Concerns are also growing about the potential impact of a Trump presidency on the conflict.
"Allies defended Europe's freedom then, and Ukrainians do so now. Unity prevailed then, and true unity can prevail today," Zelensky posted on X. At the ceremony, he showed respect to wheelchair-bound veterans by shaking hands and bowing to them.
Canada's Trudeau highlighted the threats to democracy from aggressors seeking to redraw borders. "Our way of life did not happen by accident," he stated at the Canadian ceremony.
The most honored guests were some 180 surviving veterans, many in their late 90s or over 100. Some attended in wheelchairs, bundled in blankets, looking out over the shores.
Macron awarded a dozen of them France's highest honor, the Legion d'Honneur. At the British memorial at Ver-sur-Mer overlooking Gold Beach, King Charles III expressed "unfailing gratitude and eternal admiration" for the veterans. "Free nations must stand together to oppose tyranny," he declared, hoping that such sacrifices would never be required again.
British veteran Cecil Newton, 100, reflected on the young men who lost their lives. "All those who were in action will always be with me, with us. I can see them now," he said. King Charles acknowledged the dwindling number of veterans and emphasized that the obligation to remember their sacrifices must never diminish.
Two veterans could not make the journey to France. William Cameron, a 100-year-old Canadian veteran, passed away just before his planned return, and 102-year-old Robert Persichitti from the United States died en route to the ceremony.
The ceremonies featured notable guests like film director Steven Spielberg and actor Tom Hanks, acknowledging their 1998 film "Saving Private Ryan" about D-Day. British veteran crooner Tom Jones and popular folk singer and actor Johnny Flynn provided music at the British ceremony.
No Russian officials were invited, highlighting Moscow's current pariah status despite the Soviet Union's significant contribution to defeating Nazism in World War II. Putin, in a meeting with foreign news outlets in Saint Petersburg, dismissed the lack of invitation, saying, "let them celebrate without us."
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