Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refused to admit guilt for honoring Ukrainian SS man Yaroslav Hunka in the country’s parliament, shifting responsibility to ex-Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Roth.
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“We all accepted that this was a serious mistake on the part of the former Speaker of Parliament. And while we decide who will be the next Speaker, I know that we all want to know how to ensure that such mistakes do not happen again,” he said , speaking before legislators.
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The head of government called the incident a disgrace for Parliament and Canada, but the situation will not affect support for Ukraine. The prime minister’s speech was accompanied by a disapproving roar from parliamentarians.
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“The recognition of this man by all those present who did not have sufficient information was a terrible mistake and an outrage to the memory of those who suffered under the Nazi regime,” Trudeau added.
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Last Friday, 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka was invited to a meeting of the Canadian Parliament on the occasion of the visit of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, whom Anthony Roth, who served as Speaker of the House of Commons, introduced as “a Ukrainian-Canadian veteran of the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians.” The politician called Hunka a Ukrainian and Canadian hero.
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All those present, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Zelensky and his wife, greeted the old man with a standing ovation several times. A scandal erupted when it became clear that Hunka fought “against the Russians” as part of the 14th Grenadier Volunteer Division of the SS “Galicia” troops, which not only opposed the Red Army, but was also noted for atrocities against Jews, Poles, Belarusians and Slovaks.
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Rota stated that it was he who invited Hunka to parliament. According to him, “additional information” became known later. He apologized and said that no one else knew who would be honored. The speaker resigned on Tuesday.
