Biden Urges Americans and Allies to Support Ukraine During D-Day Anniversary

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden called for solidarity with Ukraine during the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Biden drew parallels between the Allied war effort against the Axis in World War Two and the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Speaking during a ceremony at the American cemetery in Normandy, the president said “To surrender to bullies, to bow down to dictators, is simply unthinkable. If we were to do that, it means we’d be forgetting what happened here on these hallowed beaches.”

Commenting specifically on D-Day, which was the largest amphibious assault in history, Biden called it a “powerful illustration of how alliances, real alliances maHe said that was “a lesson that I pray we Americans never forget.”

Biden paid tribute to the American and Allied soldiers who stormed the beaches, codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword on June 6, 1944. “Let us be worthy of their sacrifice,” the president urged.

Biden draws parallels between Ukraine war and D-Day as military support hangs in the balance

Biden’s comments during the D-Day commemorations were clearly intended to galvanize support for the continued provision of military assistance to Ukraine amid its war with Russia.

“We must remember that the fact that they were heroes here that day does not absolve us of what we have to do today,” Biden said. “Democracy is never guaranteed. Every generation must preserve it, defend it, and fight for it. That’s the test of the ages.”

In recent months, Ukraine has lost ground to a renewed Russian offensive. This has coincided with a stall in Western military support caused by political disputes and delays, both in the US and in Europe.

“Western-provided artillery ammunition has reportedly started arriving to Ukrainian forces on the frontline,” according to a recent assessment by the Institute for the Study of War, “although not at a scale that would allow Ukrainian forces to fully challenge the Russian military’s current artillery shell advantage.”

Biden is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Friday. The president is optimistic that new US munitions deliveries, following months of delay, can help counter Russian advances on the battlefield.

World War Two veterans meet in Normandy, possibly for the last time

The commemorative event that marked D-Day this year was especially bittersweet as the number of surviving veterans continues to dwindle.

Before the official ceremony, the president and First Lady Jill Biden met with over two dozen US military veterans. Several other world leaders were present, such as King Charles, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Volodymyr Zelensky.

A number of celebrities from the entertainment industry were also present, including Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks who directed and starred in Saving Private Ryan, the opening scenes of which depict the D-Day landings.