Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has broken his silence on the recent recognition of a Ukrainian Nazi veteran within the Canadian Parliament, describing the incident as “profoundly disconcerting.”
Trudeau remarked, “This deeply troubles the Parliament of Canada and, by extension, all Canadians.”
The controversy arose during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent visit to Canada when Trudeau met and honored Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old veteran of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, a Nazi-affiliated unit. Hunka received two standing ovations from Canadian lawmakers during the visit, which drew widespread criticism.
In response to the backlash, Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota issued an apology to the Jewish community, acknowledging the “appalling error in judgment” made by recognizing Hunka in the parliamentary gallery during Zelenskyy’s address.
Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, who strongly criticized Trudeau’s actions, demanded an apology from the Prime Minister through social media channels.
Speaker Anthony Rota extended his apologies to Jewish communities both in Canada and worldwide, expressing regret for independently making the decision to recognize Hunka during the parliamentary proceedings.
‘SUCH SLOPPINESS OF MEMORY OUTRAGEOUS’: RUSSIA
The Kremlin responded on Monday, condemning the presentation of a Ukrainian man who had served in one of Adolf Hitler’s Waffen SS units during World War Two as a hero in Canada’s parliament last week. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed outrage at what he deemed a careless disregard for historical truth and emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of Nazi crimes.
Peskov remarked, “Such negligence in remembering history is outrageous. Many Western countries, including Canada, have failed to impart the knowledge of who fought against whom and the events of the Second World War to the younger generation, leaving them ignorant of the threat of fascism.”
