Western leaders remember D-Day under Ukraine shadow

Western leaders Thursday on the beaches of northern France marked 80 years since the D-Day landings to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation, mindful of the over two-year war raging again in Europe after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. leader Joe Biden, King Charles III of the UK and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, representing the Allied powers, paid tribute to the sacrifices made by the tens of thousands of troops on the sandy beaches and cliffs of Normandy, often far from their homes, under intense German counter-fire.

"Our gratitude is unfailing and our admiration eternal," King Charles III said at the British memorial at Ver-sur-Mer that overlooks Gold beach, one of the landing sites for British troops.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the world must continue to stand up for democracy.

"Democracy is still under threat today. It is threatened by aggressors who want to redraw borders," he said at the Canadian ceremony in nearby Courseulles-Sur-Mer.

"Our way of life did not happen by accident, and it won't continue without effort."

'Obligation to remember' 

With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joining the Western leaders in Normandy for an international ceremony, the events will provide a hugely symbolic backdrop to talks on how Ukraine can gain back ground after Russian advances.

No Russian official has been invited, underlining Moscow's pariah status in the West after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 despite the decisive Soviet contribution to defeating Nazism in World War II.

The most honoured guests are surviving veterans. Around 200 are expected, a number that is dwindling every year with most at least in their late 90s and some older than 100...