Canadian Parliament Pays Tribute to Nazi Military Veteran During Ukrainian President’s Visit
All 338 MPs applauded former member of the Waffen SS, a Nazi division known for war crimes in World War II, during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Parliament in Ottawa on Sept. 22. Speaker of the House Anthony Rota referred to Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian-Canadian who fought in the Second World War for Ukrainian independence against the Russians and continues to support troops at the age of 98. Mr. Rota called him a Ukrainian and Canadian hero and thanked him for his service.
Two days later, on Sept. 24, Mr. Rota apologized on social media, stating that the decision to recognize Mr. Hunka was his own and that he regretted it. He extended his deepest apologies to Jewish communities and took full responsibility for his actions.
During World War II, Mr. Hunka fought with the First Ukrainian Division, also known as the 4th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, the military wing of the Nazi Party, according to a Sept. 24 article by Jewish non-profit Forward. This division, also called SS Galichina, was formed in 1943 and consisted of recruits from western Ukraine. They were trained by the Nazis. The unit was responsible for the massacre of Polish villagers in Huta Pieniacka, Ukraine, in 1944. The Nuremberg Trials declared the Waffen SS a criminal organization that committed mass atrocities.
After the war, around 2,000 veterans of the SS Galichina settled in Canada and the unit was known as the First Ukrainian Division.
The Canadian Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies expressed their deep concern and disturbance at the incident. They stated that crimes committed by Ukrainians during the Holocaust should not be whitewashed.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre claimed that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau personally met and honored a veteran of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, and accused the Liberal government of arranging for the recognition of a Nazi veteran in Parliament. Mr. Poilievre demanded a personal apology from Mr. Trudeau.
Liberal MP Karina Gould defended Mr. Trudeau, stating that the Speaker was responsible for inviting the individual to the House and that the government had no knowledge of his presence. She urged MPs to avoid politicizing the incident and to stand together in support of Ukraine.
During President Zelenskyy’s visit, Prime Minister Trudeau pledged $650 million in military aid over three years to support Ukraine’s defense against Russia.
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