Western leaders commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings: this is how the ceremonies will be

“Free nations must unite to oppose tyranny,” he said.

The French president also invited some 200 veterans, the last survivors of the tens of thousands of soldiers who risked their lives on the sandy beaches and cliffs of Normandy, often far from their homes, under intense German counterfire.

“I’m not particularly proud of what I did, but if I had to do it again, I would do it. I’m happy with our sacrifice so that others could have a good life,” British John Mines, 99, told AFP.

(You may be interested in: Why do Europeans go to the polls? Five questions and answers to understand the European Union elections)

​Macron also invited leaders of the then enemy powers to the ceremony on Omaha Beach: the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and the Italian President, Sergio Mattarella, and the Ukrainian head of state, Volodymyr Zelensky, in a hugely symbolic gesture.

The big absentee is Russia. Despite the high price that the Soviet Union paid in the final victory (27 million civilian and military deaths), Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited, unlike 10 years ago, due to its invasion launched in Ukraine in 2022.

“This war of aggression is a betrayal of the messages” of D-Day, Macron explained to the television program Quotidien to justify the non-invitation of his Russian counterpart, to whom he had “written.”
​
(Also: ‘We are going to decide which Europe we want to live in’: the old continent goes to the polls with the balance tilted to the right)

The Western powers thus want to show their support for kyiv. When Paris and kyiv negotiate the sending of French military instructors to Ukraine, Zelensky must present to Biden and Macron the needs of his country during his visit until Friday.

The three days of commemorations in France began on Wednesday in Plumelec with a tribute to the resisters and with Macron convinced that youth are “ready for the same spirit of sacrifice as their elders.”

The French president, who warned in April that Europe “can die” from the Russian offensive and did not rule out sending allied troops to Ukraine in January, took advantage of the D-Day ceremonies to draw a parallel with the current Ukrainian conflict.
​
(You can read: ‘Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons are three times more powerful than those of Hiroshima’: the harsh warning given by Vladimir Putin)

“If for several decades the memory of the errors of the past sustained the firm will to do everything possible to prevent the outbreak of a new open world conflict,” this is no longer the case, Pope Francis added in a letter released on Wednesday.

King Charles III, whose visit to Normandy represents his first trip abroad since his cancer diagnosis, He also launched the celebrations on Wednesday from the British port of Portsmouth, key in the preparation of the Landings 80 years ago.

“As we give thanks for all those who gave so much to achieve the victory whose fruits we still enjoy today, let us once again commit to always remembering, appreciating and honoring those who served that day,” he declared.

With his state visit until Sunday, Biden also seeks to promote the United States as a defender of democracy and international alliances, opposing his electoral rival Donald Trump.

In an operation kept secret from the Germans, The allies landed 80 years ago on five beaches spread along the Norman coast: Omaha and Utah for the Americans, Gold and Sword for the British, and Juno for the British and Canadians.

The landing of Allied forces, supported by airborne operations that parachuted troops directly into occupied soil, was the largest amphibious operation in history in terms of number of ships and soldiers deployed.

(Keep reading: Leaders of 17 countries, including Colombia, urge Israel and Hamas to accept the truce proposal in Gaza presented by Joe Biden)

At the end of what became known as “The Longest Day,” 156,000 Allied troops and 20,000 vehicles reached Nazi-occupied northwest France, despite a hail of bullets and artillery from German aircraft.

This operation marked the beginning of the end of the Nazi occupation of Western Europe, although there were still months of intense and bloody fighting ahead before the final victory over Adolf Hitler’s regime.