Today we celebrate and commemorate the greatest integrated Allied effort in history – an effort which changed the momentum of a World War to win it, resulting in a sound defeat of the tyranny and the establishment of a new of world order —D-Day, June 6, 1944.
We pay tribute to and recognize the massive sacrifice on this day – to the thousands who gave their lives for the cause of freedom. Fourteen allied nations joined together in an integrated effort of courage, decisive decision-making, and leadership of unrelenting actions. We as a World will never forget the cost of the magnitude of human life and we celebrate the cooperation and integration that enabled the allied team to pool the resources of the free world to defeat tyranny. We as a world will never forget the cooperation and integration between the allied forces to launch Operation Overlord, which not only began the liberation of France, but also relieved pressure on the Eastern Front, enabling our Russian allies to take ultimately take Berlin, winning the war in Europe.
Those same nations that united to liberate France 80 years ago today, and many like minded partners from across the globe, are now supporting Ukraine against the tyranny of Russia. Russia, working with China, Iran, and North Korea, seeks to fundamentally change the world order put in place after the allied victory in WWII – an order that has led to the longest period of peace and prosperity in human history. This axis of resistance seeks to undermine democracy, human rights, and the sovereignty of free nations. Our Allied support has been critical to keeping Ukraine in the fight, but we are not doing enough. Our incremental approach to sending aid and overbearing restrictions on weapon use limit Ukraine’s ability to fight, resulting in a war of attrition that ultimately benefits the larger combatant, Russia. Our support must enable Ukraine to both defend itself and conduct its own counter offensive. We must come bring overwhelming force to bear on this tyrant, just as we did 80 years ago.
If we fail to shift the momentum, Russia will continue to make incremental gains under the cover of weak Western policies. If changes are not made Ukraine will lose, and if Ukraine loses the U.S. and our allies are highly likely to find ourselves in a much larger battle against Russia and quite possibly in multiple theaters with other tyrants in this axis of evil. Ukraine is the frontline of defense for democracy and the existing world order. Tyranny only understands strength and unity. We must engage now or we will pay a much higher price later.
Russian glide bombs and drones launched from the sanctuary of Russian territory and airspace continue to devastate Ukraine. The Biden administration made a minor change in policy allowing Ukraine to strike Russian targets near the line of contact in Kharkiv, but this is not enough. It fails to provide Ukraine with the capability to stop drone and glide bomb attacks being launched from Russian aircraft and from deeper in Russian territory. In addition to policy change, Ukraine has to be given more warfighting capability and capacity immediately.
80 years ago today, D-Day taught us that the only way to stand up to an aggressor is with overwhelming force – to never give your enemy an advantage. Today, the U.S. and NATO should not give Russia any sanctuary. The restrictions on Ukraine must be lifted and the Allies must do everything in their power to give Ukraine the capability to win.
