- By Nadine Yousif in Toronto and Max Matza in Seattle
- BBC News,
1 hour ago
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Watch: The moment Canadian lawmakers celebrate the Ukrainian Nazi
An invitation to Parliament for a Ukrainian who fought for a Nazi unit in World War II would be “deeply embarrassing” for Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.
98-year-old Jaroslav Hunka received a standing ovation after Lower House Speaker Anthony Rota called him a “hero” during a Friday visit by the Ukrainian president.
Mr. Rota said he was unaware of Mr. Hunka’s Nazi connections and had made a mistake in inviting him to the event.
He is threatened with calls for his resignation.
On Monday, Mr. Trudeau told reporters it was “extremely disturbing that this happened.”
“This is something that is deeply embarrassing to the Canadian Parliament and therefore to all Canadians.”
The incident occurred on Friday when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was speaking in parliament.
Mr. Hunka was sitting in the House of Commons gallery when Mr. Rota pointed to him and said the man was “a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service.”
Those in the building responded with applause.
Thousands of Ukrainians fought on the German side during the war, but millions more served in the Soviet Red Army.
In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Rota said he “later became aware of additional information that causes me to regret my decision” to honor Mr. Hunka.
“No one, including parliamentary colleagues and the Ukrainian delegation, was aware of my intention or my comments before I made them,” he said.
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House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota apologized for the second time on Monday
“This initiative was entirely my own, the person in question came from my equestrian background [district] and was brought to my attention.
He said: “I would like to apologize deeply, particularly to the Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I take full responsibility for my actions.”
In response to his statement, the Canadian Jewish group Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs said it was pleased with the apology, adding that “a proper review is essential to ensure that such an unacceptable incident does not happen again.”
Mr. Rota apologized again on Monday and spoke personally to colleagues on the floor of the House of Representatives.
He is facing calls for his resignation from opposition politicians, including New Democrat MP Peter Julian, who described the incident as an “unforgivable mistake”.
“Unfortunately, I believe a sacred trust has been broken,” he said on the House floor.
Mr. Trudeau on Monday did not call on Mr. Rota, who is a member of the prime minister’s Liberal Party, to resign.
His office said the decision to invite Mr. Hunka was made solely by the Speaker’s office.
It also denied allegations that a private meeting took place between Mr Hunka and the prime minister.
Image source: Alamy/Canadian Press
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Yaroslav Hunka (right) waits for the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
The decision to honor a man with ties to Nazi Germany could have implications beyond Canada’s borders.
The Polish ambassador to Canada, among other things, expressed his anger and said he expected an apology for Parliament’s “glossing over such villains.”
In his speech on Monday, Mr. Trudeau also suggested that Russia would use the appearance to spread a false narrative about Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has tried to justify his invasion of Ukraine by falsely claiming that Russia wants to “denazify” the country.
“I think it’s going to be really important that we all stand up against Russian disinformation and continue our unwavering and unequivocal support for Ukraine,” Trudeau said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the incident in the House of Representatives on Monday “outrageous.”
“Many Western countries, including Canada, have raised a young generation who do not know who fought who or what happened during World War II. And she knows nothing about the threat of fascism,” he said.
During World War II, Mr. Hunka served in the 14th Grenadier Division of the Waffen-SS, also known as the Galizien Division – a volunteer unit composed primarily of ethnic Ukrainians under Nazi command.
The division’s members are accused of killing Polish and Jewish civilians, although the unit has not been found guilty of war crimes by any court.
The unit was renamed the First Ukrainian Division before surrendering to the Western Allies in 1945.
Dominique Arel, chair of Ukrainian studies at the University of Ottawa, told CBC News that the department Mr. Hunka was a part of attracted thousands of Ukrainian volunteers, many of whom joined in the hope of achieving Ukrainian independence.