In D-Day speech, Hegseth urges Europe to counter ‘invasion’ of migrants

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Europe to counter what he termed an “invasion” of its coastline by migration, as he marked the 82nd anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings in northern France.

Hegseth also called on European countries to do more to contribute to their defence, in a speech at the American military cemetery in Colleville-sur-mer in Normandy.

He was however conspicuously set to skip the main international ceremony marking the anniversary of the landings, which heralded an end to World War II, later in the afternoon.

“Sadly, today different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies,” Hegseth said.

On “beaches in Spain and Italy and Greece and Bulgaria, boats and men arrive”, he said.

“When will European capitals do something about that invasion? Or is it too late?”