(United States, 7th) US Secretary of War Hegses said that dangerous ideologies are eroding Europe, urging Europe to respond to the migrant “invasion” and contribute more to its own defense.
According to AFP, Hegses visited France on the 82nd anniversary of the World War II Normandy landings. On Saturday (June 6), he delivered a speech at the American military cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, a town in the Normandy region.
This small town was the site of the famous “Normandy Landings” battle during World War II.
Hegses said: “Regrettably, today the beaches across Europe are being struck by different dangerous ideologies. On the beaches of Spain, Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria, boats and people keep pouring in.”
The Trump administration in the US has accused mass migration of posing a threat to European civilization. Vice President Vance recently criticized the UK for its handling of a Sikh man’s shooting of white students, claiming this was a sign of the 'invasion' of migrants causing civilizational decline.
Hegses also used this language. He asked: “When will Europe take action to respond to this invasion? Or is it already too late?”
Referring to the US military’s crucial role in the Normandy landings, Hegses said: “May we draw lessons from this history. The soldiers resting here once fought side by side, united in one alliance, with each comrade giving all their diligence, courage, and spirit of sacrifice.”
He also emphasized: “No hollow slogans, no lavish summits, and no communiqués. Real allies do real work, willing to bear tangible losses for a common cause worth striving—even sacrificing—for.”
Trump has repeatedly complained that Europe has not fulfilled its responsibility to safeguard its own continent’s security, and Washington has even hinted at withdrawing from the NATO alliance.
In his speech, Hegses said: “Peace can only be guaranteed through strength. Such strength requires joint efforts from both sides of the Atlantic, requires high readiness, shared military capabilities, and unwavering political will.”
Nevertheless, Hegses did not attend the international commemorative ceremony held on Saturday afternoon.
European leaders and US veterans participated in the commemorative events. French Prime Minister Lecornu paid tribute to the “3,000 young people in their 20s” who died on D-Day, praised Britain’s resilience during the war, and called the American people “a great nation and friends of freedom.”
He also said that the European continent must rise to “the challenge of our generation” by building autonomous capabilities and strengthening self-defense in order to face “the ever-approaching, ever-intensifying, and emerging threats.”
This small town was the site of the famous “Normandy Landings” battle during World War II.
Hegses said: “Regrettably, today the beaches across Europe are being struck by different dangerous ideologies. On the beaches of Spain, Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria, boats and people keep pouring in.”
The Trump administration in the US has accused mass migration of posing a threat to European civilization. Vice President Vance recently criticized the UK for its handling of a Sikh man’s shooting of white students, claiming this was a sign of the 'invasion' of migrants causing civilizational decline.
Hegses also used this language. He asked: “When will Europe take action to respond to this invasion? Or is it already too late?”
Referring to the US military’s crucial role in the Normandy landings, Hegses said: “May we draw lessons from this history. The soldiers resting here once fought side by side, united in one alliance, with each comrade giving all their diligence, courage, and spirit of sacrifice.”
He also emphasized: “No hollow slogans, no lavish summits, and no communiqués. Real allies do real work, willing to bear tangible losses for a common cause worth striving—even sacrificing—for.”
Trump has repeatedly complained that Europe has not fulfilled its responsibility to safeguard its own continent’s security, and Washington has even hinted at withdrawing from the NATO alliance.
In his speech, Hegses said: “Peace can only be guaranteed through strength. Such strength requires joint efforts from both sides of the Atlantic, requires high readiness, shared military capabilities, and unwavering political will.”
Nevertheless, Hegses did not attend the international commemorative ceremony held on Saturday afternoon.
European leaders and US veterans participated in the commemorative events. French Prime Minister Lecornu paid tribute to the “3,000 young people in their 20s” who died on D-Day, praised Britain’s resilience during the war, and called the American people “a great nation and friends of freedom.”
He also said that the European continent must rise to “the challenge of our generation” by building autonomous capabilities and strengthening self-defense in order to face “the ever-approaching, ever-intensifying, and emerging threats.”