80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day celebrated with parades

The countries that won World War II in 1945 are on Thursday marking the 80th anniversary of its end - commonly known as Victory in Europe (VE) Day - with parades and various other events.

On Thursday, a service at Westminster Abbey in London and a large concert are planned for Britain's celebrations. Pubs can also stay open longer on VE Day. The whole country should come together to remember the sacrifices made by the war generation which should "never be forgotten," Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

The country held a military parade in London on Monday, which the royal family attended. The words of wartime prime minister Winston Churchill were recited, and the Red Arrows flew over the city. King Charles III also hosted veterans at a tea party at Buckingham Palace.

Paris marks Thursday with the traditional laying of a wreath by President Emmanuel Macron at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe and with a military parade on the Champs-Élysées.

The liberation of France from German occupation was celebrated last year. The highlight was the commemoration of D-Day, the Allied landing in Normandy in June 1944. The then US president Joe Biden and King Charles III attended.

The commemoration of the liberation of Strasbourg at the end of November also held great symbolic significance for France. In early February, the liberation of Colmar in Alsace was also commemorated, marking the last major battle of World War II on French soil.