US General Likens Western Support for Ukraine to Normandy Landings

On Monday, a senior US general saw the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a reminder that “freedom is not free,” likening the West’s support for Kiev in its response to the Russian invasion to the sacrifices made by the Allies during the Normandy landings in 1944.

During a press conference held in the French city of Bayeux with his French and British counterparts, the Chief of Staff of the US Land Forces, General James McConville, praised what the Allies did together in 1944 to restore freedom to the peoples of Europe.

“We find ourselves in a very similar situation with the unprovoked attack on Ukraine. It reminds us that freedom is not free,” he added.

The three generals met in the city in Normandy on the eve of the commemoration of the landings carried out by the Allies on June 6, 1944 on the coast of the French province, which was then controlled by Nazi Germany.

During the press conference, British General Sir Patrick Sanders said that the war in Ukraine is “a return to history and dangerous confrontations between the great powers.”

He added that the British army “has trained 10,000 (Ukrainian soldiers) in 2022, starting in June, and hopes to train between 25 and 30,000 more this year.”

According to the British general, “the Ukrainian soldiers are extraordinarily impressive, the youngest is 18, the oldest is 65, and they never rest, they never stop, they are very much engaged in getting the Russians out of their country.”

For his part, the French general, Pierre Schelle, said, in response to a question about the lessons that the armies of the three generals learned from the Ukraine war, that in this context, “care should be exercised, because what we see from this conflict is a narrative, there are messages that are sent to the enemy, but still There is a lot to learn,” at a time when observers are wondering about the date of an upcoming Ukrainian counterattack.

“What is certain is that this demonstrates the crucial importance of initiative, of the will to fight, of the defense of the country, of confidence in the chain of command,” General Scheele told AFP.

He added that the Ukraine war also demonstrated the importance of “command systems such as low-earth orbit satellites to ensure battlefield transparency and provide the ability to strike the enemy and protect oneself.”