Trudeau Faces Backlash For Honouring Nazi Veteran In Canadian Parliament

Canadian lawmakers faced embarrassment when they mistakenly gave a standing ovation to a man introduced as a war hero after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's House of Commons address, only to later discover that he had served in a Nazi unit during World War II.

The Speaker of Canada's House of Commons, Anthony Rota, issued an apology for recognising 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka as a 'Ukrainian hero' before the Canadian Parliament. Hunka's service in World War II was with the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, according to a Jewish human rights group that demanded an apology.

Rota took responsibility for the oversight, admitting it was "entirely my own initiative." He clarified that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of his intention or remarks before he delivered them, expressing his "deepest apologies" to Jewish communities.

Following Zelenskiy's House of Commons address, Rota acknowledged Hunka, praising him for his role in fighting for Ukrainian independence against the Russians, leading to two standing ovations. However, this recognition drew criticism from the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, which demanded an explanation for how this individual entered the Canadian Parliament and received recognition.

"In a time of rising antisemitism and Holocaust distortion, it is incredibly disturbing to see Canada's Parliament applaud an individual who was a member of a unit in the Waffen-SS, a Nazi military branch responsible for the murder of Jews and others," the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center stated.