Zelensky attends ceremony marking D-Day in Normandy

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska took part in the official international ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy.

According to the President’s Office, the ceremony took place at the Omaha Beach Memorial in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer. The attendees watched a documentary about the Allied landings, as well as a historical reenactment of the event. Military aircraft flew overhead in honor of the 80th anniversary of the landings.

The ceremony was attended by leaders from a number of countries, including President of France Emmanuel Macron, President of the United States Joseph Biden, Prince William of Wales, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, President of Poland Andrzej Duda, President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel, President of Italy Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, and President of the European Council Charles Michel.

The Normandy landings, also known as D-Day, took place on June 6, 1944. It was one of the key events of World War II. Allied forces, including those of the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, landed on the Normandy coast in Nazi-occupied France. This allowed them to launch a large-scale offensive in Western Europe, which, along with other battles of World War II, led to the defeat of Nazism in May 1945.

“The unity that defines history. Today in France, alongside our allies, we honored the bravery of the Allied forces who landed in Normandy 80 years ago. We remember. We thank them. We uphold the values of the defenders of life,” Zelensky posted on Facebook, sharing a video from the ceremony.

Photo: Rex