US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth invoked migration during a speech marking the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.
Speaking at the American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Hegseth said: “different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies.”
He added: “Beaches in Spain and Italy and Greece and Bulgaria. Boats and men arrive,” before asking: “When will European capitals do something about that invasion? Or is it too late?” He added: “I pray not, and I believe not.”
Hegseth did not explicitly mention immigration, but the broader Trump administration has criticised Europe’s migration policies and border security. In September, US President Donald Trump told Europe at the UN that "your countries are being ruined" by migration.
He also used the occasion to press for stronger transatlantic defence cooperation, arguing that peace depends on sustained military strength on both sides of the Atlantic.
