Normandy anniversary excludes Russia amid ongoing Ukraine conflict

Russia will not be invited to the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Allied landing in Normandy due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and concerns from some allies about such a presence, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing diplomatic sources.

Reuters notes that as early as April, the event organizers announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not receive an invitation. Nevertheless, it was suggested that certain Kremlin representatives might be expected at the celebrations due to their country's contribution to the joint fight during World War II.

However, Reuters cites sources indicating that Russian representatives would not be invited to the celebrations, where Presidents of Ukraine and the United States, Volodymyr Zelensky and Joe Biden, among others, will be present. Earlier in May, three EU diplomats admitted in an interview with Reuters that the presence of Russia, which has been conducting an invasion in Ukraine for two years, would be concerning.

In the past, Russian representatives participated in the Normandy celebrations. In 2014, during the 70th anniversary of "D-Day," Vladimir Putin was present at the ceremonies. A few months earlier, Russia had annexed Crimea.

A group of French historians and activists recently appeared in the pages of "Le Monde" not to invite Russia to this year's celebrations. The scientists cited the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine. They also argued that modern Russia is not the only heir of the Soviet Union as a party in the fight against Nazi Germany.

“Many former Soviet republics, including Ukraine, paid a price for the ultimate victory no less high—proportionally to their population—than Russia,” the article's authors emphasized.