France celebrated Bastille Day on Tuesday with a grand parade in Paris, featuring troops and warplanes from across Europe in a display of support for Ukraine as it continues to resist Russia's invasion.

The event was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, for whom this was the last Bastille Day of his presidency, and other high-level guests. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was the special guest.

Among the attendees were German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

US President Donald Trump sent his wishes via social media, expressing hope for deepening US-France relations as the US marks its 250th anniversary of independence.

France has been grappling with deadly heatwaves and forest fires, with Paris expected to reach 34°C (94°F) on Wednesday.

Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, a key event in the French Revolution. This year's celebrations also come 10 years after the 2016 Nice terrorist attack that killed 86 people.

Source: www.dw.com