War in Ukraine overshadows D-Day celebrations | DW News
War in Ukraine overshadows 80th anniversary of D-Day commemorations
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has not been invited to the ceremony, unlike his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. After more than two years of fighting, this is an opportunity for Western allies to demonstrate their ongoing support for Ukraine.
Published yesterday at 11:38 am (Paris), updated at 12:57 pm
While Russia has been making progress in Ukraine, the Ukrainian president is expected, barring any serious setbacks, to be present on Thursday, June 6 at Omaha Beach, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, in the company of some 20 heads of state and government. US President Joe Biden will also be there, as will German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. . .
The president will close the events on Friday morning in the Normandy city of Bayeux, in the footsteps of General Charles de Gaulle, who made two famous speeches there in 1944 and 1946.
The ceremonies organized over three days in tribute to the liberation of France, from bombarded towns (Saint-Lô, Caen) to military cemeteries (Ver-sur-Mer, Colleville-sur-Mer), cannot overshadow the deadly conflict that is once again tearing the continent apart and jeopardizing its security, far beyond the Ukrainian battlefields.
Display of cohesion: Unlike the 70th anniversary festivities, Russia has not been invited, precisely because of the protracted war in Ukraine. In 2014, Vladimir Putin had been welcomed in France a few months after illegally annexing Ukraine's Crimea peninsula, while his country was subject to the first Western sanctions.
Item 1 of 5 Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2024, in this still image taken from live broadcast video. Kremlin.ru/Handout via REUTERS
[1/5]Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2024, in this still image taken from live broadcast video. Kremlin.ru/Handout , opensRead more
79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two
MOSCOW, May 9 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia would do everything to avoid a clash of global powers but would not let itself be threatened, in a speech to mark the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. Putin was addressing massed ranks of Russian servicemen on Red Square. "Russia will do everything to prevent a global clash. But at the same time we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always in a state of combat readiness," Putin said in a short speech as flurries of snow whipped across the vast square.
After calling for a minute of silence, Putin ended with the words: "For Russia! For victory! Hurrah!", providing the cue for thousands of troops to answer with three loud cheers.
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