European Troops and Warplanes Join Paris Bastille Day Parade in Show of Unity for Ukraine
Ukrainian fighter pilots and troops took pride of place in France's national Bastille Day celebrations on July 14, 2026, as a massive parade showcased support for Ukraine and symbolically flexed European military muscle .
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On President Emmanuel Macron's last Bastille Day as president, he hosted around 30 other leaders for an event aimed at showing both Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump that Europe is united and stepping up to defend itself .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was given an ovation from the assembled European leaders, and his country's troops got the biggest cheers of the day from crowds on the Champs-Elysees avenue .
Approximately 500 soldiers from the "coalition of the willing" grouping of countries that have pledged to help with Ukraine's postwar security opened the parade .
