A few days before the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, the French Presidency has announced that no representative of the Kremlin will be invited, although a tribute to the Red Army is planned

Change of programme. Initially, Russia was to be represented, except by Vladimir Putin. However, the Élysée Palace announced on Thursday 30 May that Russia would not be present.

‘Russia has not been invited because of the war of aggression it is waging against Ukraine’, explained the French Presidency. According to this source, the President of the Republic ‘faces history with lucidity’ and France ‘has always honoured the Red Army and the heavy tribute paid by the USSR’. A tribute will therefore be paid ‘in 2024, illustrated by gestures and integrated into the programme of commemorations’, particularly in cemeteries where Russian soldiers are buried.

Biden, Zelensky, William…
In mid-April, Mission Libération announced that Russia would be invited, but not Vladimir Putin ‘given the circumstances’

However, Volodymyr Zelensky will be present at Omaha Beach on 6 June, as will Joe Biden and his wife Jill, two days before a state visit to France. More than twenty heads of state or representatives of countries involved in the Second World War will also be taking part.

While Prince William has confirmed his attendance, the presence of King Charles, who is suffering from cancer and whose activities have been slowed down, remains uncertain.