Commemorations of the Landings: Pete Hegseth calls on Europe “to ensure its defense”

“Europe must be the first to ensure its conventional defense”declared the American Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, upon his arrival in Normandy on Saturday. He takes part in the commemorations of the 82nd anniversary of the 1944 Landings.

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During a meeting attended by the Minister of the Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, Pete Hegseth called “allies, like France, to seriously face this reality and show it through concrete progress.”

During a trip to Singapore at the end of May, the American Secretary of Defense had already criticized the Europeans for having “too long” ignored calls to strengthen their defense. Catherine Vautrin then responded that France was in a “rearmament process”.

Pete Hegseth’s statements come as the United States announced a reduction in American troops stationed in Europe, and as a NATO summit is planned in Ankara, Turkey, next month.

In the meantime, the official commemorations of the Landing began at 1 p.m. in Ouistreham. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu presents diplomas and green berets to the marines, heirs to the 177 French Kieffer commandos, who landed there in 1944.

The international ceremony begins at 4 p.m. in Langrune-sur-Mer, in the presence of ambassadors and officers representing the allied troops as well as Germany.