The Russian president, however, was invited to the 70th anniversary of D-Day in 2014, despite Ukraine’s illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula a few months earlier.
French organizers have invited Russian representatives to take part in the 80th D-Day anniversary of the World War II Normandy landings, but they “cut” Vladimir Putin.
Many world leaders like the president of the USA, Joe Bidenare included in the guest list for the celebration in early June.
“Given the circumstances, President Putin will not be invited to take part in the Normandy landings celebrations,” organizers said, according to French news agency AFP.
A Russian delegation was, however, invited, although the organizers did not reveal who the Russian guests would be. According to the organizers, the ceremony will honor “those who stood, those who suffered and those who fought and liberated”.
In June 1944, Allied troops stormed the German beaches of Normandy at the start of a land invasion of continental Europe that ended with victory over the Nazis in 1945. The Soviet Union fought Adolf Hitler’s forces on the eastern front for years, gradually pushing them back. to return before they also reach Berlin.
It is not the first time that Putin has been excluded from a similar event as he was not invited to the 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019 attended by the likes of Theresa May, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Angela Merkel and Donald Trump.
At the time, Putin said he didn’t care.
“Why do they always call me everywhere? What am I, an operetta general? I have enough to do here, it’s not a problem,” he told news agencies, according to Le Figaro.
The Russian president was, however, invited to the 70th anniversary of D-Day in 2014, despite Ukraine’s illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula a few months earlier.
“We may have differences with Vladimir Putin, but I have not forgotten and will never forget that the Russian people gave millions of lives” during World War II, said former French President Francois Hollande, who had extended an invitation to Putin in 2014.
“Historically, France has always invited countries whose troops landed in Normandy. In the past, the invitation was also extended to the Russian Federation,” the organizers said.
Source :Skai
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