Hegseth urges Europe on D-Day to counter present-day ‘invasion’ on beaches

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Europe to counter what he termed an “invasion” of its coastline by migration, as he marked the 82nd anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings in northern France.

Hegseth also called on European countries to do more to contribute to their defence, in a speech at the American military cemetery in Colleville-sur-mer in Normandy.

He was however conspicuously set to skip the main international ceremony marking the anniversary of the landings, which heralded an end to World War II, later in the afternoon.

“Sadly, today different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies,” Hegseth said.

On “beaches in Spain and Italy and Greece and Bulgaria, boats and men arrive,” he said.

“When will European capitals do something about that invasion? Or is it too late?”

His comments echoed the argument of the administration of US President Donald Trump that mass migration represents a danger to European civilisation.

US Vice President JD Vance on Friday blamed Britain’s handling of the murder of a white student by a Sikh man on what he called civilisational decline caused by an “invasion” of migrants.

“May we learn from this past,” Hegseth said in reference to the pivotal involvement of American troops in the Allied landings.

“The men buried here fought in a war-fighting alliance where every partner… brought its full measure of industry, courage and sacrifice,” he said in front of the 9,387 white crosses of American soldiers killed in action during the Battle of Normandy.

“Not empty slogans, not lavish summits, not communiques.

“Real allies doing real things, taking real losses for a shared cause worth fighting and dying for.”

– Peace ‘through strength’ –

He said that while America “will lead” its “capable allies must be right there with us, shoulder-to-shoulder in the breach when it matters”.

The Trump administration has also accused Europe of not pulling its weight to ensure the continent’s security and has even floated pulling out of NATO.

“Peace is secured only through strength,” he told the audience including French armed forces Minister Catherine Vautrin, without referring explicitly to the US-Israeli war against Iran.

“And it’s strength on both sides of the Atlantic, fortified by readiness, shared military capabilities and an unwavering political will,” he added.

The Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, were the largest amphibious operation in history. 

An armada of 6,939 ships and 132,700 British, Canadian, American, Belgian, Norwegian, and Polish troops stormed 80 kilometres (50 miles) of Normandy beaches. 

The operation contributed decisively to the victory over Nazi Germany, which was also being squeezed by USSR forces to the east.