Watch: pomp and colour in Paris as France holds Bastille Day parade
Macron oversees his final July 14 procession as president alongside a host of foreign guests in the French capital
Ukrainian fighter pilots and troops took pride of place in France’s national Bastille Day celebrations on Tuesday as a massive parade showcased support for Kyiv and symbolically flexed European military muscle.
France’s biggest national holiday coincided with raging forest fires and a red-alert heatwave that forced the cancellation of traditional fireworks and firefighters’ balls.
On the ground, the parade opened with around 500 troops from the ″coalition of the willing″ grouping of countries that have pledged to help with Ukraine’s post-war security.
Macron said Monday night that it’s a ″great honour″ to welcome to the parade ″all the partners in the coalition of the willing and our Ukrainian friends who will march with us and illustrate its strategic reawakening and our unity.″
The foreign fighters in combat fatigues and dress uniforms marched with their national flags, in a break with tradition – usually only one foreign country is invited to take part in the parade. It was the first time in some 20 years that British troops took part.