U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth warned on Saturday that Europe faced what he called an invasion of dangerous ideologies arriving by sea, linking immigration to the ‌legacy of the D-Day landings in remarks in Normandy.

His ​remarks echo criticisms often made by the administration of President Donald Trump about Europe, a region Washington argues ⁠is hampered by weak defenses, inability to tackle immigration, needless ​red tape, and "censorship" of far-right and nationalist voices to keep them from ⁠power.

"Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different, dangerous ideologies.

Beaches in Spain, Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria — boats and men arrive," Hegseth said in a ‌speech at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer.

"When will ​European capitals do ‌something about that invasion or is it too late? I pray not, and I believe ‌not," he said.

Hegseth was speaking during commemorations for the 82nd anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy, when U.S. and Allied forces crossed ⁠the English Channel to launch ‌the liberation of Western ⁠Europe from Nazi occupation.

U.S. officials, including Trump — and Vice President JD Vance as ⁠recently as ⁠Friday — have often criticized European countries for failing to control immigration.

A U.S. National Security Strategy ‌document issued last year warned Europe faced "civilizational erasure" and must course-correct if it is to remain a reliable U.S. ally.

That document — and other ‌comments by ​senior Trump officials — ‌have upended postwar assumptions about Europe's close relationship with its strongest ally, and concentrated minds across European capitals on the ​urgent need to diversify away from reliance on U.S. technology and defense.