(Ottawa) The presence of a former Ukrainian soldier who fought in a Nazi unit at President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech is embarrassing the Trudeau government.
Published at 5:19 p.m. Updated at 6:49 p.m.
98-year-old veteran Jaroslaw Hunk received a warm ovation from elected officials and senators in the Canadian Parliament when House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota mentioned his presence in the gallery.
“He is a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for his service,” said President Rota, introducing this citizen from his horseback riding in northern Ontario. The former soldier stood and received applause from the room, including President Zelensky, who raised his fist in his direction.
It turns out that the man was a member of the 14th Division of the Waffen-SS, created by the Nazi regime, during World War II. The matter went unnoticed until Jewish organizations raised the alarm this Sunday.
“The Jewish communities in Quebec and Canada resolutely support Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression. But we cannot remain silent when the crimes committed by Ukrainians during the Holocaust are glossed over,” the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs protested on X.
“Horrible,” wrote the organization Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies on the same social network. At B’Nai Brith, CEO Michael Mostyn expressed a similar opinion, arguing: “We cannot allow a recast.” [whitewashing] Of history.”
Apologies from President Rota
President Rota quickly expressed his remorse and assured that he “regrets it.” [sa] decision to introduce this person” in light of “new information” brought to his attention since last Friday’s speech.
“In particular, I would like to sincerely apologize to the Jewish communities across Canada and around the world. I take full responsibility for my actions,” he said in a statement released Sunday.
The Liberal MP made it clear that “no one” among his parliamentary colleagues or the Ukrainian delegation before my speech “was aware of his intentions or his statements” and that therefore “he is the only one responsible for this initiative”.
This version of events was confirmed by Prime Minister Trudeau’s office, which said the Speaker of the House had done “the right thing” by apologizing and taking “full responsibility for sending the invitation and for recognizing it in Parliament.”
Opposition parties shocked
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre placed the blame on Justin Trudeau and his protocol department, but was careful to distance himself from the ovation the veteran of Ukrainian origin received last Friday.
“This is a serious lapse in judgment by Justin Trudeau, whose Protocol Office is responsible for organizing and approving all guests and programs for state visits of this nature,” the leader of the official opposition wrote on X.
Justin Trudeau’s office responds: “Parliament and the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives are independent of the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister’s Office,” says the statement by speaker Ann-Clara Vaillancourt distributed on social networks.
Nevertheless, the leader of the New Democrats, Jagmeet Singh, who also distanced himself from the tribute to Jaroslaw Hunk, is calling for accountability. “New Democrats will take their concerns directly to the Liberal government to understand how this could have happened,” he noted on X.
The affair casts a shadow over a day that was generally quite good for Justin Trudeau, whose week was marked by the outbreak of a diplomatic crisis between Canada and India.