80 years later, the last French veterans of World War II warn about the need to defend peace

France celebrated the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II on Thursday.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, directed the national celebration in the capital, Paris, depositing a crown of a crowd in the statue of General Charles de Gaulle, who directed the French resistance against Nazi Germany.

But remembering the millions of people who fought and died in the war, France found a worrying reality: few witnessed their first -hand horrors.

“Unfortunately, I am discovering that we are less and less,” said 89 years, “Marcjanna Marcinkowski, who was only nine when Paris was released from the Nazi occupation in 1944.

“It is a real concern, because finding me is only something that worries me a lot,” he added.

Marcinkowski fears that war lessons are lost in the younger generations of today.

“I feel that these lessons are already forgotten. In schools, we have stopped talking about World War II and World War I,” he told Euronews.

The Russian Invasion of Ukraine is happening at the gates of Europe, but the few remaining veterans feel that the story is about to be repeated.

“I am very committed to peace. We have to do everything possible to prevent people from killing each other,” said 101 -Year -old Jean Yaghlekdjian, a veteran of World War II.

“I am very attached to this message because I have seen too many people (dying) of the most heinous ways. I will fight for peace with all my strength,” he told Euronews.

Marcjanna Marcinkowski did not forgive the words: “I am very worried about what will happen now with this Vladimir Putin Crazy and Donald Trump’s full idiot,” he said.

In his speech, Macron echoed a similar feeling, warning against complacency against current tensions.

“We will never stop fighting for victory and defend peace,” said the French president.

“We will never have finished affirming the place of our country, defending our independence and our freedom. So, there will always be France. And with Him, Europe, our Europe and our peace.”