Live updates: D-Day 80th anniversary in Normandy, Biden, Macron, Zelensky, Prince William attend

President Joe Biden reinforced the importance of the US’ alliances across the world, saying he was struck by the solemnity of the ceremonies honoring veterans who served on D-Day 80 years ago.

Biden told ABC News in an interview from Normandy that the sacrifice of soldiers was “astounding.”

“Now imagine what they had to come through — I was here 30 years ago, came in on a landing craft. You could see from out there what they saw here. The idea that they get off those boats, they get off those landing crafts, many of them died, sinking — you come across that beach, as long as it — it’s just astounding. It’s astounding,” he said.

“What it says to me is, how critical alliances are, how critical alliances are for our security,” Biden said.

The president has sought to contrast his vision of foreign policy with that of former president Donald Trump, who has struck a more isolationist tone, describing the NATO alliance as “obsolete,” and threatening to withdraw from the alliance.