World marks Armistice Day as Russia's war in Ukraine rages
Nations across the world pay respect with solemn ceremonies for their fallen soldiers in World War I and ever since on an Armistice Day pierced by the rumblings of Russia's war in Ukraine that showed again that peace is all too often elusive
BRUSSELS (AP) — Across the world, nations paid respect with moments of silence and solemn ceremonies for their fallen soldiers in World War I and ever since on an Armistice Day pierced by the rumblings of Russia's war in Ukraine that showed again that peace is all too often elusive.
On the continent that already spawned two world wars in little over a century, casualties since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 are estimated at around 200,000 and gave any of Friday's reminiscences about the horrors of wars past a poignant ring of the present.
“Since 1918 we have marked Armistice Day and paid tribute to the brave men and women who have served to give us peace. Yet as we salute our troops this year, this peace has been shattered by a Russian aggressor," U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said. “As we honor the war dead of the past, we also remember Ukraine’s fight for freedom today."
The thought echoed around the globe, starting in Australia and New Zealand, where dawn came first on the anniversary of the Nov. 11, 1918 truce that brought an end to the First World War.
