World leaders to commemorate 80th D-Day anniversary
Russia was not invited and Biden will deliver a speech about defending freedom and democracy
Paris — Veterans and world leaders will meet in Normandy, northwestern France, on Thursday to mark the 80th anniversary of the 1944 D-Day landings, when more than 150,000 Allied soldiers invaded France to drive out the forces of Nazi Germany.
Eighty years later, Normandy’s beaches and fields still bear the scars of the fighting that erupted on D-Day, history’s largest amphibious invasion.
Here is what you need to know about the event:
Why does the ceremony matter?
With war raging on Europe’s borders, this anniversary’s D-Day ceremony will carry special resonance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be among the guests. Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, touching off Europe’s biggest armed conflict since World War 2, was not invited.
The numbers of British, American, Canadian and French veterans still alive, most of them aged 100 or more, are fast dwindling. This could be one of the last major ceremonies on Normandy’s windswept beaches and at the manicured war memorials honouring those veterans still present.
Who will be there?
About 4,500 guests are expected, including about 200 veterans, mostly from the US, Britain, Canada and France. Among them will be 101-year old US Army veteran Jake Larson.
US President Joe Biden will be there while on a June 5-9 state visit to France.
Russia will not be represented. President Vladimir Putin was never on the guest list due to the invasion of Ukraine. But France had initially invited Russia’s ambassador in recognition of the country’s huge sacrifices during World War 2, before rescinding the invitation.
Britain’s King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William will be among the guests, along with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Canada’s Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
What will they do?
For French President Emmanuel Macron, there will be three days of visits and speeches, from June 5-7. On Wednesday he will be in Brittany and Normandy, with visits that include the town of Saint-Lô, which was destroyed by Allied bombardments.
Also on Wednesday, British army paratroopers will recreate a drop into the fields of Normandy, watched by three veterans. A British ceremony at the Bayeux War Cemetery will be attended by D-Day veterans and their families.
The main focus will be on Thursday . Ceremonies will kick off at about 8.30am GMT at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, in the presence of King Charles. Canada will hold its own ceremony later, attended by Prince William.
At about 10am GMT, Biden will lead a US ceremony in the presence of D-Day veterans. And at 1pm GMT, Macron will preside over an international ceremony at Omaha Beach, where US forces suffered their greatest casualties in the assault against heavily fortified German defences.
At 4pm GMT, world leaders are expected to gather in Caen for diplomatic talks.
On Friday, Biden will deliver remarks at Pointe du Hoc, Normandy, about the importance of defending freedom and democracy.
Reuters