Biden commemorates D-Day invasion’s 80th anniversary, linking it to Ukraine conflict

Christophe Receveur, of France, unfurls an American emblem he bought six months agone successful Gettysburg, Pa., to people D-Day connected Thursday connected Utah Beach, Normandy. (John Leicester/AP)

President Biden marked nan 80th day of nan D-Day penetration that helped liberate Europe from Nazi Germany connected Thursday, attending a ceremonial astatine Normandy American Cemetery alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.

Veterans are awarded a precocious honor

World War II veterans — dozens of whom were welcomed arsenic returning heroes when they arrived successful France this week — were besides astatine nan event, a operation of celebrating freedom, remembering nan unspeakable sacrifices it requires, and honoring veterans who put their lives connected nan line.

“On behalf of nan American group and arsenic commandant successful chief, it’s nan highest grant to beryllium capable to salute you present successful Normandy,” Biden told nan veterans.

“Here you came, to subordinate our efforts pinch your ain soldiers, and to make France a free nation,” Macron told nan erstwhile work members. “And you are backmost present coming — astatine home, if I whitethorn say.”

Under clear and sunny skies, Macron presented a group of veterans pinch nan Legion of Honor, France’s highest decoration, pinning medals to their jackets arsenic nan crowd applauded. The cemetery and its memorial sits conscionable inland from nan famed Omaha Beach, connected nan statement wherever much than 150,000 U.S. and Allied troops streamed ashore successful a monolithic amphibious assault.

Event nods to Ukraine’s warfare against Russia

As it evoked that historical and bloody day, nan arena besides took statement of a existent conflict: Europe is erstwhile again a spot of war, arsenic Russia seeks to pummel neighboring Ukraine into submission.

“Ukraine has been invaded by a tyrant bent connected domination,” Biden said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The U.S., NATO and its friends guidelines pinch Ukraine and won’t “walk away,” Biden said. He warned of a ripple effect of unit and aggression, should Russian win successful subjugating Ukraine.

“The autocrats of nan world are watching intimately to spot what happens successful Ukraine, to spot if we fto this forbidden aggression spell unchecked. We cannot fto that happen.”

Worldwide, he added, populist is much astatine consequence now than it has been astatine immoderate different clip since World War II ended.

Both Biden and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called connected nan U.S. and its friends to uphold nan tone of D-Day.

“We still activity a world wherever aggression is simply a misdeed and wherever quality authorities are ineffable and wherever each group tin unrecorded successful freedom,” Austin said. “At this clip successful history, we must again guidelines patient against aggression and tyranny.”

Austin besides had a connection to nan veterans who sat nearby: “You saved nan world. Gentlemen, we salute you.”

Biden touts engagement complete isolation

“What nan friends did together 80 years agone acold surpassed thing we could person done connected our own,” Biden said, urging Americans not to hide that lesson.

“Together we won nan war,” he said. “We rebuilt Europe, including our erstwhile enemies. It was an finance successful what became [a] shared and a prosperous future.”

Investing successful NATO and different alliances is successful nan self-interest of nan U.S., nan president added.

“Isolationism was not nan reply 80 years agone and is not nan reply today,” Biden said. “We cognize nan acheronian forces that these heroes fought against 80 years ago. They ne'er fade, aggression and greed, nan desire to predominate and power to alteration borders by force. These are perennial.”

Military cemeteries for illustration nan 1 astatine Normandy show nan costs of freedom, Biden said.

“Remember, nan value of unchecked tyranny is nan humor of nan young and nan brave,” Biden said. “In their generation, successful their hr of trial, nan Allied forces of D-Day did their duty. Now nan mobility for america is, successful our hr of trial, will we do ours?”