US President Joe Biden arrived today on a five-day visit to France to participate in the ceremonies for the 80th anniversary of the landing in Normandy, reported France Press. He will also meet President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday as part of his first state visit to the country.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Atal met Biden at the Paris airport. Tomorrow, the American head of state will travel to the beaches of Normandy, where on June 6, 1944, Allied troops set foot on land to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany.
During his visit to Normandy, Biden will speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about his military efforts to repel Russian invaders, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard the president's plane.
The US head of state's speeches in Normandy, the first tomorrow at the official ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the landings and the second on Friday on the cliffs of Pointe du Oc, will focus on the dangers of isolationism and the need to stand up to dictators, Sullivan said.
Biden will draw a connection between World War II, the Cold War and the creation of NATO with today “when we again face war in Europe, where NATO has come together to defend freedom and sovereignty.
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Biden will also hold an emotional meeting with veterans who participated in the landing.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that during the meeting with Macron, the two will discuss the potential use of about $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.
Memories about the Day “D“ are taking place against the background of the contemporary conflict in Europe - Russia's more than two-year war with Ukraine.
At a political fundraiser ahead of his trip, Biden called the Normandy landings “one of the most important moments in the history of defending freedom and democracy in the history of the world” and declared that the sacrifices of that day should not be rejected.
„Democracy is literally on the run-off this year. The future of democracy and freedom is at stake. We have brave soldiers who gave their lives on the beaches of Normandy who contributed,'' he told donors in Connecticut on Monday.