Canada: In a deeply regrettable incident, the Speaker of Canada’s House of Commons issued an apology for recognizing Yaroslav Hunka, who is alleged to have fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II. This recognition occurred immediately after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address in the House of Commons, where Canadian lawmakers gave the 98-year-old veteran a standing ovation when Speaker Anthony Rota drew attention to him.
This act has resulted in severe criticism of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for meeting and honoring a member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, a Nazi division. The Leader of the Opposition in Canada, Pierre Poilievre, criticized Trudeau’s office for not properly vetting the guests and programming for state visits of this nature, stating that Trudeau’s “personal protocol office is responsible for arranging and vetting all guests and programming for state visits of this kind.”
Furthermore, the Speaker of Canada’s parliament has also issued an apology for singling out Ukrainian veteran Yaroslav Hunka, who is alleged to have fought for the Nazis during World War II. The incident occurred during President Zelenskyy’s visit to the Canadian parliament, during which Speaker Anthony Rota paid homage to the 98-year-old Ukrainian immigrant.
Rota referred to Hunka as “a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians” and hailed him as “a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero.”
However, these remarks have been criticized for overlooking “the horrific fact that Hunka served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, a Nazi military unit whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are well-documented,” as stated by the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC). This Jewish advocacy group described the incident as “shocking” and “incredibly disturbing” and called for an apology to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought against the Nazis.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office denied any involvement in the matter, emphasizing its independence from the Speaker of the House. They stated that neither they nor the Ukrainian delegation had any advance notice of the incident.
This unfortunate incident took place during President Zelenskyy’s visit, where he expressed gratitude to Canada for its assistance in Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia.
