D-Day anniversary 2024: World leaders, veterans, commemorate Normandy landings
U.S. President Joe Biden made an impassioned call for the defence of freedom and democracy at the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy on Thursday, urging Western powers to stay the course with Ukraine and not surrender to Russian tyranny, Reuters reports.
At a joint ceremony with French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. veterans at the Normandy American Cemetery, Biden said it was "simply unthinkable" to surrender to Russian aggression and he promised no let-up in support of Ukraine.
He urged Western and NATO allies to recapture the spirit of D-Day and work together at a time when he said democracy was under greater threat than at any time since the end of World War Two.
"Isolationism was not the answer 80 years ago and is not the answer today," Biden said in his speech.
On June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 Allied soldiers invaded France by sea and air to drive out the forces of Nazi Germany, coming ashore at five beaches codenamed Omaha, Juno, Sword, Utah and Gold or dropping from the sky.
With the numbers of veterans, many aged 100 or more, fast dwindling, this is likely to be the last major ceremony in Normandy honouring them in their presence. Biden said it was the highest honour to salute the assembled U.S. veterans, turning away from the podium to tell them: "God love ya."
"The men who fought here became heroes," he said. "They knew beyond any doubt there are things that are worth fighting and dying for."
Leaders were set to adopt on Thursday a declaration saying democracy was once more under threat in Europe and promising to defend freedom and democracy, two sources said.
