D-Day Veterans Visit Normandy for 80th Anniversary

Above: Members of The Normandy Veterans Association prepare to take part in a parade in Portsmouth to mark the 60th Aniversary of D-Day held on June 3, 2004 Image copyright: Julian Herbert/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Allied veterans of World War II have begun arriving in France, where they will converge on the shores of Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of the historic D-Day invasion on Thursday.

  • For many of the former warriors, many of whom are over 100 years old, this may be a final visit to the beach to commemorate the June 6, 1944 battle.


The Spin

Anti-Russia narrative

For the third straight year, Russia will not be represented at the D-Day anniversary ceremony in France. This is despite the fact that the then-USSR suffered unimaginably in the war. Moscow may use its exclusion for propaganda, but Russia's aggression in Ukraine must carry a political and symbolic cost.

Pro-Russia narrative

The West has not only disrespected Russia by not inviting it to Normandy this year but US Pres. Biden has tried to minimize Russia's role in World War II. The Soviet Union lost some 27M lives to help bring victory to the Allied forces, but, thanks to modern-day Western stunts, Washington is trying to whitewash history to minimize the positive role Russia has played in defeating evil.


Metaculus Prediction


Public figures in this story


Establishment split

CRITICAL

PRO