Paris, Jun. 6, (dpa/GNA) – World leaders from both sides of the Atlantic are expected to attend memorial events in France on Thursday marking the 80th anniversary of the landing of Allied troops in Normandy during World War II.

The arrival of the troops marked the start of the successful campaign to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany.

Among the high-profile leaders in attendance will be US President Joe Biden, who arrived in France on Wednesday. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as Britain’s King Charles III and members of the Dutch royal family are also expected to attend.

A notable absence will be Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been internationally isolated after ordering the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and was not invited to take part in the commemoration this year.

Allied troops landed on the coast of northern France on June 6, 1944, marking the prelude to the liberation of France and Western Europe from Nazi rule.

Operation Neptune – the official codename of the Normandy landings – marked a clear turning point in the war. D-Day will also be remembered for the tens of thousands of lives lost as Allied soldiers landing on the coastline were met with fierce German resistance.

More than 150,000 soldiers set off for northern France from Portsmouth in Britain 80 years ago. The Allied forces on D-Day consisted mainly of troops from the United States, Britain, Canada, Poland and France.

The memorial celebrations will take place on the beach of Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, known as Omaha Beach. GNA