PARIS: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned on Saturday (Jun 6) that Europe faced what he called an invasion of dangerous ideologies arriving by sea, linking immigration to the legacy of the D-Day landings in remarks in Normandy.
His remarks echo criticisms often made by the administration of President Donald Trump about Europe, a region Washington argues is hampered by weak defences, inability to tackle immigration, needless red tape and “censorship” of far-right and nationalist voices to keep them from power.
“Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different, dangerous ideologies. Beaches in Spain, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria, boats and men arrive,” Hegseth said in a speech at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer.
“When will European capitals do something about that invasion or is it too late? I pray not, and I believe not,” he said.
Hegseth was speaking during commemorations for the 82nd anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy, when US and Allied forces crossed the English Channel to launch the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation.
US officials, including Trump and Vice President JD Vance as recently as Friday have often criticised European countries for failing to control immigration.
A US National Security Strategy document issued last year warned Europe faced “civilisational erasure” and must course-correct if it is to remain a reliable US ally.
That document, and other comments by senior Trump officials, have upended postwar assumptions about Europe’s close relationship with its strongest ally, and concentrated minds across European capitals on the urgent need to diversify away from reliance on US technology and defence.