D-Day Anniversary: Biden Urges Allies to Support Ukraine in Defeating Russian Tyranny

President Biden commemorated the 80th anniversary of D-Day by urging allies to unite against Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, which he labeled as a "tyrant bent on domination."

President Joe Biden addressed the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France, utilizing the momentous occasion to rally support among allied nations for aiding Ukraine in its defense against the "tyrant" Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking at a ceremony near the Normandy beaches, Biden followed French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. He painted a vivid picture of the global landscape on June 6, 1944, when 73,000 Americans joined Allied forces in the pivotal mission that became known as D-Day, widely regarded as a decisive turning point in World War II.

"The evil of Hitler's Third Reich was devastating the world," Biden emphasized. "Nazi Germany had subjugated the once-free nations of Europe through brute force, lies, and the twisted ideology of racial superiority. Millions of Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, and millions of others perished by bombs, bullets, and bloody warfare. Hitler and his associates believed democracies to be weak and that the future belonged to dictators. Here, on the coast of Normandy, the battle between freedom and tyranny would be joined on that June morning."

Surrounded by now-centenarian veterans who stormed the Normandy beaches as young service members in the largest amphibious assault in history, Biden drew a direct parallel between the fight against Nazi Germany and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

In the aftermath of World War II, the United States played a pivotal role in establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which Biden hailed as the "greatest military alliance in the history of the world," gradually expanding to include 32 countries. Its newest members are Finland and Sweden.

"America's investment in alliances and the forging of new ones have not been driven solely by altruism but also by our own self-interest," Biden stated. "America's unparalleled ability to unite countries stands as an undeniable source of our strength and power. Isolationism was not the answer 80 years ago, and it is not the answer today. We are familiar with the dark forces that these heroes battled 80 years ago. They never faltered. Aggression and greed, the desire to dominate and control, and the use of force to alter borders. These are constants. The struggle between dictatorship and freedom is never-ending."

"Here in Europe, we witness a stark example. Ukraine has fallen victim to an invasion by a tyrant bent on domination," Biden declared, alluding to Putin without explicitly mentioning his name. "Ukrainians are engaged in a courageous battle, enduring immense losses but never yielding."

Biden disclosed that 350,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in the conflict, while nearly 1 million Russians "have left their country because they no longer see a future there." In contrast, he emphasized, the U.S., NATO, and a coalition of over 50 nations "stand steadfast with Ukraine."

"We will not abandon them because if we do, Ukraine will be subjugated, and it will not end there. Ukraine's neighbors will be threatened. The entire continent of Europe will be threatened," Biden cautioned. "And make no mistake, the world's autocrats are observing Ukraine closely to determine our response and whether we will allow this unlawful aggression to go unchecked. We cannot permit that to occur. Capitulating to bullies and kowtowing to dictators is simply unacceptable."