Western allies come together to mark 80 years since the World War II D-Day landings, as the specter of war haunts Europe once again in Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden began a state visit to France on Wednesday marking 80 years since the World War II D-Day landings, with a new war shadowing Europe as Ukraine battles Russian invasion.

Along with French President Emmanuel Macron, King Charles III and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden will remember on Thursday the heroism of the Allied troops who gave their lives in the landings on June 6, 1944 to free Europe from Nazi occupation.

It will be King Charles’ first overseas visit since his cancer diagnosis.

While the sacrifice of Allied soldiers will be center stage, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian President Sergio Mattarella will also be present as a sign of international post-World-War-II reconciliation.

Flying aboard Air Force One, Biden touched down at Paris Orly airport and was welcomed by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

Biden was also expected to promote America as a defender of democracy and international alliances during his state visit which will last until Sunday, contrasting himself against election rival Donald Trump.

But the war that has been raging in Ukraine since Russia’s February 24, 2022 invasion will take center stage with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also attending. He is scheduled to meet with Biden, according to the White House.

Biden, Macron and Zelensky are coming together at a critical moment in the Ukraine conflict, with Kyiv warning that Russia risks gaining the upper hand without a significant increase in Western help.

But there have been shifts in recent weeks, with the West showing readiness to allow Ukraine to use Western-provided weapons to strike targets in Russia and France pushing for the deployment of European military instructors in Ukraine.

Biden will continue the trip in Paris on Saturday with the first state visit of his presidency to France. It will give him and Macron a critical chance to push for peace in Ukraine and address the conflict in Gaza in talks at the Elysée Palace.

No official from Russia has been invited, after Paris reversed plans to host lower-level representatives in recognition of the Soviet Union’s immense contribution in World War II.

The most honored guests will be the surviving veterans: some 200 are expected, a number that is dwindling every year, with most at least in their late 90s and some over 100.

With AFP