France marks Bastille Day with troops from Eastern Europe allies marching in military parade

By Shweta Desai

PARIS (AA) - France celebrated Bastille with a traditional military parade Thursday, including troops from Eastern European countries neighboring Ukraine.

This year, in the context of Russia’s war on Ukraine, troops from nine Eastern European countries bordering Ukraine were invited to march on the Champs-Elysees

“War has re-emerged on our continent. We have adapted. At sea, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, in the air, especially in the Baltic countries, and on land in Romania and Estonia. Our armies are responsive, exemplary, and recognized by our Allies,” President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter and posted a video of foreign troops marching in the parade.

The parade, believed to be the largest and the oldest in Europe, began from the Avenue de Friedland as Macron was accompanied by the Chief of the Defense Staff Thierry Burkhard.

Burkhard and the military governor of Paris, Christophe Abad, inspected the troops.

The theme of the year’s parade was "sharing the flame," referring to the flame of the Resistance, international alliances, and humanitarian operations, according to a statement from the Defense Ministry.

Highlights of the parade that marks France’s military’s power projection and strength in external operations included for the first time the participation of the MQ-9 Reaper drone at the end of a fly-over, nuclear deterrent air forces, Rafale and Mirage 2000 fighter jets that are deployed in the NATO mission on the eastern flanks and Operation Barkhane in Africa, CAESAR trucks that are delivered to Ukraine and a new army vehicle, Griffon.

Several cities in the southwestern canceled traditional firework festivities because of raging forest fires, heatwave, and drought conditions.

The President of the Federation of Firefighters, Col. Gregory Allione, told Franceinfo it was responsible to cancel the festivities to limit the risk of fire.

"We have difficulties, because of fireworks set off by private individuals,” he said, adding that if official fireworks are canceled it sets an example for others to also not light firecrackers.

Two fires in Gironde that began Tuesday are still raging and have burned more than 3,750 hectares (9,266 acres) of forest.