FRANCE  –  US President Joe Biden touched down in Paris for a trip marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day and engaging in a state visit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

But the task at hand will be far loftier, as Biden seeks to deepen ties with transatlantic allies as Europe faces a re-energized Russia inside Ukraine, the looming threat of China and the risk posed by elections that could upset the current geopolitical order.

Biden “really believes we’re at an inflection point in history,” John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, said. “It’s tied to the way geopolitics are changing, the way challenges are being presented to us around the world.”

In Normandy, Biden and other Western leaders will recount one particular challenge facing allied forces on June 6, 1944 – the largest military invasion by sea in history – which counted more than 10,000 casualties and became a pivotal moment in the war against Nazi Germany. This year’s anniversary is likely the last major commemoration in which D-Day veterans, now nearing 100 years old, are on hand to bear witness.

From Pointe-du-Hoc, which separates Omaha and Utah beaches where American troops landed, Biden will deliver a speech on the power of democracy on Friday, leaning on the visceral imagery from that day to talk about the men who gave their lives in pursuit of democracy.

“Making it clear what you stand for and what you stand against matters today,” Kirby said, acknowledging the importance of Europe bolstering American leadership. Biden “recognizes that, for as powerful as we are and as much good as we can do, we need help.”

The president arrived in France and will head to Normandy to partake in the ceremonies marking the D-Day anniversary. After the speech from Pointe-du-Hoc on Friday – a place famous in American military history for the heroic climb of Army Rangers up its 100-foot cliffs where they were able to neutralize German guns firing down on the beach – Biden is set to be fêted with a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, returning the favor Biden offered the French leader in 2022. (CNN)…[+]