Those familiar with the great Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin’s biography would assume that the connection is his birthday date, June 6, the same as the beginning of the Normandy landing. But, as will be explained later, the connection is much deeper.
Given the growing threat that the Ukrainian conflict might escalate into nuclear WWIII, those looking for ways to avoid Armageddon suggested using the celebration of the 80th anniversary of D-Day to start the dialogue in search of peace. Indeed, Russia, at the time USSR, was an ally in the Battle of Normandy, shoring up the Eastern Front. However, when French President Macron hinted in May at the possibility of inviting Russia to attend the June 6 ceremony, it was immediately rejected by Washington and London. One should recall that British PM Boris Johnson, obviously in consultation with Joe Biden, prohibited Zelensky from signing the Stambul March 2022 Peace Accords. Signing would stop the war and save hundreds of thousands of lives, homes, and infrastructure, but it was sabotaged.