80 years on, France’s last WWII veterans warn peace must be defended

France commemorated nan 80th day of nan extremity of nan Second World War connected Thursday.

French President Emmanuel Macron led nan nationalist remembrance successful nan capital, Paris, laying a wreath successful beforehand of a crowd astatine nan statue of General Charles de Gaulle, who led nan French Resistance against Nazi Germany.

But arsenic France remembered nan millions who fought and died successful nan war, it besides faced a sobering reality: fewer stay who person witnessed its horrors first-hand.

“Unfortunately, I'm uncovering that location are less and less of us,” said 89-year-old Marcjanna Marcinkowski, who was conscionable 9 erstwhile Paris was liberated from Nazi business successful 1944.

“That’s a existent concern, because uncovering myself unsocial is thing that troubles maine a lot," she added.

Marcinkowski fears nan lessons of nan warfare consequence being mislaid successful today’s younger generations.

“I consciousness for illustration these lessons are already forgotten. In schools, we've wholly stopped talking astir World War II and nan first World War", she told Euronews.

But arsenic Russia’s full-scale penetration of Ukraine rages connected astatine Europe’s doorstep, nan fewer remaining veterans consciousness that history is connected nan brink of repeating itself.

“I'm very committed to peace. We must do everything we tin to forestall group from sidesplitting each other,” said Jean Yaghlekdjian, a 101-year-old World War II veteran.

“I'm very attached to this connection because I've seen excessively galore group (die) successful nan astir atrocious ways. I’ll conflict for bid pinch each my might," he told Euronews.

Marcjanna Marcinkowski didn't mince her words: "I'm very worried astir what's going to hap now pinch this nutty Vladimir Putin and that complete jerk, Donald Trump," she said.

In his speech, Macron echoed a akin sentiment, informing against complacency successful nan look of today’s tensions.

“We will ne'er beryllium done fighting for triumph and defending peace,” said nan French President.

“We will ne'er beryllium done asserting our country’s place, defending our independency and our freedom. So yes, location will ever beryllium France. And pinch it, Europe, our Europe, and our peace."