Hegseth Compares European Migration to D-Day Threats

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke at the American military cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer on Saturday, the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day landings. He said the men who fought and died there restored freedom to Europe. He added that different European beaches are now stormed by dangerous ideologies, naming beaches in Spain, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria where boats and men arrive.

"Beaches in Spain, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria, boats and men arrive," the defense secretary said. "When will European capitals do something about that invasion, or is it too late?

The Langrune en Commun residents' association in France had called for the trip to be cancelled in the days before the visit. The group said the individual promotes values that go against democracy, human rights and peace. A member of the association told broadcaster BFMTV that the current U.S. administration is not business as usual and that the defense secretary is challenging international organisations that emerged from the second world war.

UK Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister told Sky News on Sunday that he had spoken with the U.S. vice-president about a separate social-media post. The vice-president had blamed immigration for the killing of an 18-year-old British student stabbed in the UK.

The justice secretary said the killer was British-born and the case had nothing to do with mass migration. "This has got nothing to do with mass migration. This young man was a Brit," the justice secretary said.

A Swedish economist described the defense secretary's comments as clueless and contrasted them with later remarks about standing alongside allies. The economist noted the recent decision to skip a key Nato meeting.