U.S. Defense Official Highlights Migration Over Ukraine Conflict at D-Day Event
At a D-Day ceremony in France, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned of migration pressures on Europe, while omitting reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
During a commemorative ceremony for the Normandy landings in France, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that European coasts are facing an "invasion" of migrants from Africa and the Middle East. He said, "Boats and men arrive. When will European capitals do something about that invasion?" without mentioning the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Hegseth's remarks came as other senior U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have also emphasized migration concerns in recent speeches, downplaying the Russian conflict. President Donald Trump has similarly framed immigration as a primary threat to Europe, while expressing neutral or supportive views toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Critics note the contrast between the focus on migration and the lack of acknowledgment of the war that has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths in Ukraine. The Department of Defense edited the transcript of Hegseth's previous D-Day remarks to remove an accidental reference to Ukraine, and this year’s speech contained no mention of the conflict at all.