France commemorated Bastille Day on Tuesday with a grand military parade along the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
The event featured over 300 vehicles and 6,500 soldiers, including 500 troops from the Coalition of the Willing.
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The parade included personnel from Germany and 25 soldiers from Ukraine. This international participation highlights growing military ties among European nations.
Macron's Final Parade Before Election
President Emmanuel Macron attended his tenth and final Bastille Day parade before next year's presidential election.
He hosted several leaders who had participated in discussions on Ukraine, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who remained in Paris for the celebrations.
The parade began at 10 am local time (9 am BST).
Macron's presence marked a contrast from his first parade in 2017, when he aimed to impress then-newly inaugurated President Donald Trump.
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Now, he stands among European leaders, signaling a shift toward a unified European front.
Meanwhile, in Brussels, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos highlighted the significance of the day.
She noted that for the first time in over two decades, four accession conferences would be held in a single day.
Kos stated that Montenegro is the frontrunner for EU accession, having closed more than half of the required clusters.
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She praised all four involved countries for their progress in implementing reforms.
