The Speaker of the Canadian Parliament issued an apology after lawmakers, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, paid tribute to a war veteran and Ukrainian immigrant who had served in a Nazi unit during World War II.
This incident occurred during Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Ottawa on Friday.
Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old veteran who had fought for the First Ukrainian Division, received applause and cheers in the House of Commons.
The First Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a volunteer unit that operated under the Nazis’ command.
Speaker Anthony Rota, a member of the Trudeau-led Liberal Party of Canada, invited Hunka and introduced him, emphasizing his pride in representing North Bay and the Nipissing–Timiskaming riding.
“He is a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service,” Rota declared.
The incident prompted strong condemnation from opposition parties and the Jewish community in Canada, who called for an apology.
The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies issued a statement on Sunday, describing the division as responsible for “the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable.”
The statement demanded an apology to Holocaust survivors and Second World War veterans who fought against the Nazis and sought an explanation regarding how this individual gained recognition and applause in the Canadian Parliament.
Canada’s Leader of the Opposition, Pierre Poilievre, criticized Trudeau’s “appalling error in judgment,” stating that Liberals had arranged for a Nazi veteran to be recognized during Zelensky’s visit.
He pointed out that it was Trudeau’s responsibility, as the prime minister’s office is in charge of arranging and vetting all guests and programs for state visits.
On Sunday afternoon, Speaker Rota issued an apology, acknowledging that he had recognized an individual in the gallery on Friday and had since learned additional information that led him to regret his decision.
He expressed his deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and worldwide but did not provide specific details about the information he had acquired or the reasons for his apology.
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