PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron awarded France’s highest medal of honor to the U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman, Gen. Mark Milley, on Friday for his position in coordinating assist for Ukraine and for his greater than 40-year army profession spent in protection of democracy.

Milley, who's touring in France to attend ceremonies at Normandy to mark the 79th anniversary of D-Day, is near ending a four-year time period as the highest U.S. army officer and plans to retire when his tenure as chairman ends Sept. 30.

Macron awarded Milley the order of Commander of the Legion of Honor at a closed ceremony on the Élysée, the presidential palace. The medal was created by French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. It is awarded to about 2,000 residents and about 300 foreigners every year for protection of French values.

Milley referred to as the award “an incredible honor from a nation that is our oldest ally,” which the U.S. has fought alongside from the Battle of Yorktown by each world wars to as just lately as Afghanistan, when French troopers served with Milley throughout his time as a commander in Afghanistan.

In an announcement saying the award, Macron‘s workplace stated it might “pay tribute to the strength and quality of the ties of military cooperation that unite our two countries, and to General Milley‘s eminent role in this relationship.”

Earlier this yr, Macron awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his nation’s stand towards Russia’s invasion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin obtained the award in 2006. Macron has thought-about stripping Putin of the respect however has stated a call to take action “should be taken at the right moment.”

Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.

Content Source: www.washingtontimes.com