President Biden will highlight the impact of U.S. veterans and allies from the D-Day invasion of 80 years ago and could meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the remembrance in France this week, the White House said Tuesday.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby wouldn’t confirm a Biden-Zelenskyy meeting but acknowledged they would be in the same place at the same time.
“It’s not uncommon for them to find time to meet and discuss issues in Ukraine with one another,” Mr. Kirby said.
The landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, played a pivotal role in liberating France and defeating the Nazis on the Western Front during World War II.
“It was the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany, and it absolutely led to our current rules-based world order,” Mr. Kirby said.
Mr. Biden will depart for France late Tuesday and return Sunday. He will visit Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial as well as Pointe du Hoc overlooking the English Channel. U.S. Army Rangers scaled the promontory’s cliffs to take out German forces amid the invasion.
Mr. Kirby said Mr. Biden will celebrate U.S. veterans and their allied counterparts and connect their 1944 contributions to the importance of peace and democracy in the current climate.
“This visit will come at an important moment,” Mr. Kirby said, pointing to efforts to repel Russian invaders from Ukraine and end the war in Gaza.
The Soviet Union played a key role in defeating the Nazis during World War II. But Russia was not invited to this year’s Normandy commemoration, given its invasion of Ukraine.
The visit will also test Mr. Biden’s ability on the world stage as he confronts a November election against former President Donald Trump.
Mr. Biden will likely draw a contrast between his unconditional commitment to global alliances versus Mr. Trump’s more transactional stance, which often included tough love for allies.
The president will use the second half of his trip to shore up relations with France — America’s oldest ally — during a state visit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Mr. Kirby said the state visit will underscore the importance of trans-Atlantic relations and cooperation on issues in the Indo-Pacific.
The leaders will also discuss this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris and efforts to bolster nuclear energy, according to Mr. Kirby.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.