- By Nadine Yousif
- BBC News, Toronto
1 hour ago
Image source: Getty Images
image description,
A photo of Heinrich Himmler meeting soldiers of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS
As the Canadian Parliament praised a Ukrainian war veteran who fought for Nazi Germany, a controversial part of Ukraine’s history and its commemoration in Canada was once again put in the spotlight.
Jaroslaw Hunka, the Ukrainian veteran feted in parliament this week, served in a Nazi unit called the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS – also known as the Galizien Division – which was founded in 1943.
His appearance was criticized by Jewish groups and other parliamentarians alike. MP Anthony Rota, who invited him, has since resigned as speaker of the House of Commons and said he deeply regretted the mistake.
But this is not the first time that Ukraine’s role in World War II has sparked debate in Canada, home to the largest Ukrainian diaspora outside Europe.
There are several monuments throughout the country dedicated to the Ukrainian veterans of World War II who served in the Galicia Division. Jewish groups have long denounced these dedications, arguing that soldiers of the Galicia Division swore allegiance to Adolf Hitler and were either complicit in Nazi Germany’s crimes or committed crimes themselves.
But for some Ukrainians, these veterans are seen as freedom fighters who fought alongside the Nazis only to resist the Soviets in their quest for an independent Ukraine.
A controversial story
The Galicia Division was part of the Waffen-SS, a Nazi military unit that overall was involved in numerous atrocities, including massacres of Jewish civilians.
The Galicia Division was accused of war crimes, but its members were never found guilty in a court of law.
Jewish groups have condemned Canadian memorials to Ukrainian veterans who fought in the Waffen-SS, saying they are “a glorification and homage to those who actively participated in Holocaust crimes.”
Image source: Getty Images
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A controversial sculpture of Ukrainian soldier Roman Shukhevych located near the Ukrainian Youth Association in Edmonton
The monuments, which date from the 1970s and 80s, have all been destroyed in recent years and covered in red with the word “Nazi.”
Why is there disagreement about what the monuments stand for?
That goes back to Ukraine’s wartime history as well as the makeup of Canada’s large Ukrainian diaspora, said David Marples, a professor of Eastern European history at the University of Alberta.
During World War II, millions of Ukrainians served in the Soviet Red Army, but thousands of others fought on the German side under the Galicia Division.
Those who fought with Germany believed it would give them an independent state without Soviet rule, Prof Marples said.
At the time, Ukrainians resented the Soviets for their role in the Great Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33, also known as the Holodomor, in which an estimated five million Ukrainians died.
Far-right ideologies also gained traction in most European countries in the 1930s – including the United Kingdom – and Ukraine was no exception, Prof Marples said.
After Germany’s defeat, some soldiers from the Galicia Division were allowed entry into Canada after surrendering to Allied forces – a move opposed by Jewish groups at the time.
Some Canadians of Ukrainian descent view these soldiers and the Galicia Division as “national heroes” who fought for the country’s independence.
They also argue that their cooperation with Nazi Germany was short-lived and that they eventually fought against both the Soviets and the Germans for a free Ukraine.
But the Jewish community sees it differently.
“The bottom line is that this unit, the 14th SS unit, were Nazis,” Michael Mostyn, leader of B’nai Brith Canada, told the BBC.
Canada has grappled with this history in the past, through a commission in 1985 tasked with investigating allegations that Canada had become a haven for Nazi war criminals.
And “mere membership in the Galicia Division is not enough to justify prosecution,” the report continues.
The report’s findings have since been disputed by Jewish groups and some historians.
Image source: Alamy Stock Photo
image description,
Roman Shukhevych (seated, second from left), pictured in Battalion 201 in 1942
Prof Marples said that at the time of the report, some World War II archives in Ukraine and Russia were inaccessible and have since become publicly available, prompting renewed research on the issue.
Through this additional research, it was then revealed that some of those who served in the Galicia Division had been involved in war crimes, although none had ever been convicted.
Russian disinformation targets Ukraine’s history
As this historical debate moved into the 21st century, it was further complicated by modern Russian propaganda, which falsely labeled the Ukrainian government Nazis to justify its invasion of the country.
Prof. Marples said that while right-wing extremism still exists in Ukraine, it is much lower than what Russian propaganda would have people believe.
And Ukrainian elected officials are not affiliated with any right-wing extremist group in the country.
“Russia has greatly simplified the presentation,” said Prof. Marples.
Ukrainian groups in Canada say the monument dispute and Mr. Hunka’s appearance in parliament are the result of this propaganda.
Back in 2017, before the invasion but when tensions between Russia and Ukraine were high, the Russian Embassy in Canada criticized the existence of Ukrainian monuments in Canada, accusing them of paying tribute to “Nazi collaborators.”
Taras Podilsky, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Youth Unit complex in Edmonton that houses Shukhevich’s bust, said the rapid abdication of Mr. Hunka by Canadian politicians was the latest fallout from Russia’s disinformation campaign.
He added there was no evidence the veteran committed war crimes.
video caption,
Watch: The moment Canadian lawmakers celebrate the Ukrainian Nazi
“Without due process, this person is a victim of a Russian narrative that is now successful,” Podilsky said.
Mr. Mostyn of B’nai Brith said he was aware of the complexity of this story, particularly for some within the Ukrainian diaspora.
But he said any links to Nazism “are not something that future generations should be allowed to celebrate or gloss over.”
Both Jewish groups in Canada and Canadians of Ukrainian descent behind these monuments said they have had conversations about the issue.
However, both said they were unable to agree on a way forward.
“It’s on our own private property, it’s not public property, and it’s meant to be a symbol of Ukrainian freedom for us,” Mr. Podilsky said of the Shukhevych bust in Edmonton. “We know there was no wrongdoing.”
Mr. Mostyn said he believes the recent episode in Canada’s House of Commons shows there are gaps in Canada’s knowledge of Nazi history.
“We have a situation in Canada where we don’t know our own history when it comes to Nazi perpetrators who came to this country,” he said.
He and other members of Canada’s Jewish community have called for a re-examination of this history.
“It’s really important that our prime minister shows leadership at the highest levels to finally open this up because this is something the Jewish community has been demanding for decades.”