The war in Ukraine made its mark on Paris’s traditional Bastille Day military parade on Thursday as France honoured its eastern European NATO allies. French troops deployed close to Ukraine since the Russian assault in February had a special place at the event, attended by President Emmanuel Macron, his government and French and foreign dignitaries. “The parade is marked by, and takes account of, the strategic context,” an official in Macron’s office said. “The idea is to highlight the strategic solidarity with our allies.” Almost five months after Russia invaded Ukraine, the parade on the Champs-Elysees opened with the presentation of the national flags of nine allied guest countries, most of them neighbours of Ukraine or Russia: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.