Message for June 6th anniversary event

"As we celebrate the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, and the liberation of Europe that followed, let us also commemorate and honor the role that the former Soviet Union, now Russia, played in that liberation. It was the sacrifice of the Soviet people, with the loss of over 27 million lives and massive devastation to its own economy and infrastructure, that Europe was saved from fascism. This defeat of fascism and the resultant democracy that came about in Europe would not have been possible without the Russian sacrifice. On this anniversary, 80 years after the Normandy landings, and as Europe moves closer and closer to a confrontation with Russia, let us reflect on this salient reality. It is time for us to pull back from confrontation before it is too late. President Kennedy reminded us on June 10, 1963, during his commencement address at American University, "We all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children's future, and we are all mortal." Let us live up to this admonition and this challenge.