United States President Joe Biden used the 80th anniversary of D-Day yesterday to warn against the spread of isolationism and promised that the US would not "abandon" Ukraine.
At a joint ceremony with French President Emmanuel Macron and American veterans at the American Cemetery in Normandy, Biden said that it was "simply unthinkable" to surrender in the face of Russian aggression and emphasized that he would not falter in his support for Ukraine.
He called on Western and NATO countries to recapture the spirit of D-Day and work together at a time when democracy is facing its greatest threat since the end of World War II.
"Isolationism was not the answer 80 years ago and it is not the answer today," Biden said in his speech.
On June 1944, 150, over 000 Allied soldiers arrived in France by sea or by plane to drive out the forces of Nazi Germany, Reuters reminds.
Speaking to a group of World War II veterans, many of whom are over 100 years old, Biden pointed to the beaches of Normandy and spoke of “a powerful indicator of how alliances make us stronger. It is, as he pointed out, "a lesson that I pray Americans never forget."
"We must not allow what happened here to be lost in the silence of the years ahead," said Biden.
The remarks marked the first public leg of a multi-day trip during which Biden is expected to mark the anniversary of one of the most significant military battles in US history and re-emphasise the importance of democratic values.
As war rages in Ukraine on Europe's borders, the anniversary of this World War II milestone has particular symbolism and also comes in a year of numerous elections, including European Parliament elections this Sunday and the US presidential election in November.
Critics fear that former President Donald Trump, who will face Biden in the election, would reduce American support for Ukraine.
At the commemorative ceremony Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska were greeted with a standing ovation when they arrived at the commemorative ceremony on Omaha Beach in France. Zelensky and Macron greeted each other warmly, after which the Ukrainian president spoke with many heads of state present.
Speaking at a British ceremony in Ver-sur-Mer earlier yesterday, Britain's King Charles, in full military uniform, also called for greater international cooperation in the fight for peace. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and many others also participated in the day of tribute. Russia, which by invading Ukraine caused the biggest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, was not invited.
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