Hegseth warns Europe faces 'invasion of dangerous ideologies' in D-Day speech

Pete Hegseth has warned Europe is facing "an invasion of dangerous ideologies" arriving by sea, as he linked immigration to the legacy of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

The US defence secretary was speaking at the Normandy American Cemetery in northwestern France during commemorations for the 82nd anniversary of the 6 June 1944 landings, when US and Allied forces crossed the English Channel to launch the liberation of western Europe from Nazi occupation.

"Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different, dangerous ideologies. Beaches in Spain, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria, boats and men arrive," Mr Hegseth said.

"When will European capitals do something about that invasion or is it too late? I pray not, and I believe not."

While Mr Hegseth did not use the word immigration specifically, his comment echoes criticisms made by the Trump administration about Europe.

Washington has claimed that Europe is hampered by weak defences, an inability to tackle immigration, needless red tape and "censorship" of far-right and nationalist voices to keep them from power.

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 ally to the US.

Just on Friday, US vice president JD Vance blamed the murder of British university student Henry Nowak on immigration, even though Mr Nowak's killer was also British.

He said Mr Nowak would "still be alive today... if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it".

The US state department also commented on the case, saying "two-tiered policing" must be rejected in the West.

Downing St responded by accusing people of "trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets".

Veterans commemorate D-Day landings

Mr Hegseth's remarks came as the D-Day anniversary commemorations began, with French schoolchildren, serving military personnel, and pipers walking across Juno Beach to mark H-Hour, the time when British servicemen were deployed.

British veterans attended the annual Ceremony of Remembrance at the British Normandy Memorial, and key figures in the landings were honoured, including British commander Field Marshal Montgomery, who led the British ground invasion of northern France.

Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed on 6 June 1944 to fight Nazi-occupied France, with a total of 4,414 Allied troops killed in action.

Historians estimate between 4,000 and 9,000 German soldiers were killed, wounded or missing.

The Battle of Normandy, which followed the landings, saw 73,000 Allied lives lost with 153,000 men wounded.

A ceremony at Bayeux War Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth cemetery of the Second World War in France, honoured those killed, with some of the few remaining UK veterans as well as military and political representatives of the UK, including Defence Secretary John Healey, in attendance.

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This year, the smallest number of Normandy veterans attended the ceremony since the memorial opened in 2021, with only six confirmed.

The British veterans at the commemorations were Ken Hay, Richard Brock, Ken Benbow, Henry Rice, Marjorie Hanson and Roy Horner.

(c) Sky News 2026: Hegseth warns Europe faces 'invasion of dangerous ideologies' in D-Day speech