Macron in Trump at the D-Day ceremony: keeping the promise of Normandy | News from the world

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has called directly on Donald Trump to keep the "promise of Normandy" by embracing the pillars of peace after the war such as the European Union and then NATO. that the two leaders marked the D-Day landings 75 years ago.

In a speech that drew a fine diplomatic line, Macron expressed heartfelt thanks for the bravery of US troops during the Second World War and vehemently called for the White House to return to the principles of multilateralism.

In front of 15,000 people gathered at the American cemetery and at the Colleville-sur-Mer memorial, a resting place for 9,387 American soldiers killed during the Normandy campaign, Macron repeatedly checked the name of Trump, sometimes turning against the American president was sitting behind him.

"Dear Donald Trump, the United States is never bigger than when they fight for the freedom of others," said Macron from a scene erected on the wall of the missing. "The United States of America is never bigger than when they show their loyalty. Faithful to the universal values ​​defended by the founding fathers, nearly two centuries and a half ago France came to support its independence. What we owe you is to show ourselves worthy of the legacy of peace you have left us.

"To be worthy of the promise of Normandy, is never to forget that free peoples, when they join forces, can overcome all hardships," continued Macron. "We will never stop perpetuating the alliance of free peoples. This is what the victorious parties did when they created the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. That's what a few years later European leaders did to create the European Union. The lessons of Colleville-sur-Mer are clear: freedom and democracy are inseparable. "

Trump, who described NATO as obsolete in the past and who had used this week's state visit to the UK to meet with senior officials of the Brexit camp, such as Nigel Farage, n & # 39; He offered no visible reaction to Macron's comments, except for a clumsy smile.

Macron had resumed his overtly political speech by repeatedly insisting on France's gratitude and sense of obligation to those who fought and died to liberate his country and the rest of Europe from Germany of Adolf Hitler.

"On behalf of France, I bow to their bravery," said Macron before handing five veterans to the ceremony, all now 90 years old, with the Legion of Honor, the highest honor of France. "We know what we owe to you, our veterans: our freedom. In the name of my nation, I just want to say: thank you. "

When Trump 's turn was pronounced, the president recounted the story of some of the actors on the scene who had participated in the landing of D – Day, June 6, 1944, when 73,000 American soldiers landed on the beaches of the island. Utah and Omaha as part of the Overlord operation, codenamed for land, naval and air operations that remain the largest amphibious operation ever conducted.

What was the day?

D-Day was an invasion of France by Allied forces. This was Operation Neptune and aimed to push Nazi Germany out of occupied France. Five Normandy beaches, named Omaha (Utah), Juno, Sword and Gold, were the main targets of the landing of a large number of soldiers.

On June 5, 1944, at 10 pm, troops began to leave the British coast to cross the Channel. Five badault groups set sail in the dark in an armada of about 7,000 ships. On June 6, shortly after midnight, the aerial bombardment of enemy positions on the Normandy coast began. Special operations troops have also been parachuted into France.

US troops landed on the beaches of Omaha and Utah around 6:30 am. About an hour later, Canadian forces landed at Juno and British troops at Gold and Sword. The soldiers had to get off their boats, navigate the waters and take control of the beach, while being subjected to heavy and sustained fire from German defensive positions.

How was the plan kept secret?

Despite the large number of soldiers, the secret of D-Day was essential to the success of the operation. A campaign of misinformation led the Germans to believe that Operation Fortitude was the main plan for the Allied invasion of the continent, via a two-pronged attack involving Norway and Calais. Even after the D-Day landings began, the German commanders were convinced that it was only a diversion tactic before the actual invasion.

Why is he calling D-Day?

D-Day of D-Day has no real significance for Operation Neptune. In the military, it was common to make plans that used the term "D" to designate the day of the start of operations. Military planners also set time H when a plan was to begin.

What happened next?

By the end of the day, the Allies had landed more than 135,000 men and 10,000 vehicles on the beaches and established bridgeheads of varying depths along the Normandy coast. It killed 4,400 Allied soldiers and thousands more were injured or missing. German troops and French civilians also suffered heavy losses.

On 19 August, the Allied forces had pushed enough to engage the battle for the liberation of Paris. German troops went to the French capital on August 25, 1944, two and a half months after D-Day.

Martin Belam

The American cemetery, spread over 70 acres of landscaping, overlooks Omaha Beach, where, on D-Day, about 3,000 American soldiers were killed, wounded or missing.

Of the 35 veterans on the scene who entered the beaches of Normandy 75 years ago, Russell Pickett, the only surviving survivor of Company A of the 29th Division of the 116th Regiment, suffered 96% losses in less than 30 years. An hour after the battle of Omaha. beach, made infamous by the first scenes of the Hollywood movie Saving Private Ryan.

While both leaders personally thanked Pickett, Trump stabilized and hugged the 94-year-old player while the veteran seemed to stumble as he stood up.

Trump also focused on the achievements of the American generation who liberated Europe, before defeating communism and putting a man on the moon.

"The men behind me will tell you that they are only lucky," he said. "As one of them recently said, all the heroes are buried here. But we know what these men did. We know how brave they are. They came here and saved freedom. And then, they went home and showed us all that is freedom. "

Typically, Trump added, "And today, America is stronger than ever."

The US president, however, seemed to rebadure those who were worried about his skepticism about the value of multilateral organizations.

"To all our friends and partners, our beloved alliance was forged at the heart of the battle, put to the test by the trials of war and put at the service of peace," he said. "Our bond is unbreakable."

After the speeches, Macron and his wife Brigitte walked among the veterans sitting behind them to listen to their stories. The Normandy event, as well as other events in France and the United Kingdom, is widely regarded as one of the last major remembrance ceremonies to which the generation involved in the D-Day landings should attend. in large numbers.

The Trumps also shook hands when they spoke to the veterans, but they waited awkwardly for the Macron to be on the side of the stage before the two couples went to an observation point overlooking the beach. Omaha to spend a minute in silence before watching a parade of French and American planes. .

Trump and Macron held private 30-minute talks in Caen, the nearby French city heavily bombed during the invasion.

A French official said the atmosphere between the two presidents was constructive. Trump pointed out that – although the US-French relationship has had some ups and downs in the past – "it's remarkable right now."

Macron said that the heritage of Normandy beaches lived in common values, the two countries working "to preserve democracy and freedom", as part of a joint military action in Africa. West and in the diplomacy of the Middle East.

Issues discussed included Iran's approach after the United States withdrew from a nuclear deal and imposed tough new economic sanctions.

Speaking to reporters, Trump sought to minimize differences over Iran, saying neither he nor France wanted Iran to have nuclear weapons.

Macron said: "We share the same objectives vis-à-vis Iran … First, they do not have nuclear weapons … Secondly, we want to reduce their ballistic activity, third, to contain them at regional level. After all, the fourth common goal is peace in the region. We want to achieve these goals together. This is essential, and all the other debates are technical. "