France says Russia can be represented but president will not be invited because of war in Ukraine
Russia will be invited to send representatives to an international ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-day – but not Vladimir Putin, the French organisers have announced.
The Élysée is reported to have accepted that the country should be represented but said its leader is not welcome because of Moscow’s ongoing war on Ukraine.
“In view of the circumstances, President Putin will not be invited to take part in the commemorations of the Normandy landings,” the Liberation Mission organising committee said.
Technically, there were a lot of Russian and Mongolian conscripts volunteers serving in the Osttruppen on the German side.
I feel sorry for them if they had no choice, but I would suggest that the German side is not what is being memorialized in the ceremony.