U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth marked the 82nd anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings with a speech in Normandy, France, in which he urged European countries to confront what he described as an "invasion" of their coastlines by migration.
Hegseth spoke at a Normandy commemoration on Saturday, 82 years after allied forces launched their operation to liberate Nazi-occupied north-western Europe. During his remarks, he addressed what he called "boats and men" arriving on Europe's beaches, stating that the continent is facing a "migrant invasion" and an invasion of "dangerous ideologies" arriving by sea.
"When will European capitals do something about that invasion? Or is it too late? I pray not, and I believe not," Hegseth said, according to the reports.
The defense secretary's comments drew attention for using the term "invasion" to describe migration patterns, a characterization that appeared in multiple reports of the speech. Hegseth pressed European nations to take action regarding migration during the commemorative event.
The D-Day anniversary marks the historic Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, a pivotal moment in World War II that led to the liberation of Nazi-occupied north-western Europe. Hegseth's speech at the commemoration connected the historical military operation to contemporary migration issues facing European nations.
The U.S. defense chief's remarks in France represent part of ongoing discussions about migration policy and border security in Europe. His use of the term "invasion" to describe migration reflects the terminology he employed during the Normandy ceremony.
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