After the legislature openly honored a Ukrainian World War II veteran who fought alongside the Nazis, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday made a “unreserved” apology in front of the house.
“I would like to present unreserved apologies for what took place on Friday and to President (Volodymyr Zelensky) and the Ukrainian delegation for the position they were put in, for all of us who were present,” Trudeau told lawmakers.
“To have unknowingly recognized this individual was a terrible mistake and a violation of the memory of those who suffered grievously at the hands of the Nazi regime.”
The Canadian leader was referring to an embarrassing incident that marred a visit by Zelensky last week, sparking an uproar that led to the resignation of the parliament’s speaker on Tuesday.
As part of a visit to increase Western support for his nation’s fight against Russian invasion, the Ukrainian president was in Canada.
Zelensky was there in the room as the guest of honor when Anthony Rota, the speaker, mentioned the ailing soldier as a World War II hero, drawing a standing ovation.
It was then discovered that the veteran had served in a military outfit with Nazi ties.
The error “deeply embarrassed Parliament, and Canada,” according to Trudeau, who apologized in front of all Canadians and Jews worldwide earlier on Wednesday.
“It was a horrendous violation of the memory of the millions of people who died in the Holocaust,” Trudeau said.
Under pressure, Rota resigned, expressing “profound regret for my error” and the harm he caused to the Jewish communities in Canada and internationally.
At the high-profile Zelensky ceremony, Rota praised Yaroslav Hunka as “a Ukrainian-Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians” and “a Ukrainian and a Canadian hero.”
The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, which the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center describes as “a Nazi military unit whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are well-documented,” was where Hunka served.
The Jewish advocacy group called the incident “shocking” and “incredibly disturbing.”
The incident cast a shadow over Zelensky’s visit. Russia quickly jumped on the issue, saying that Canada now had to “bring to justice” the 98-year-old man.
Moscow has for years tried to paint the pro-Western Ukrainian government led by Zelensky — who is Jewish — as neo-Nazi and has used the messaging intensively on its state-controled media to justify the invasion of Ukraine to the Russian people.
Trudeau said “I also want to reiterate how deeply sorry Canada is for the situation this put President Zelensky and the Ukrainian delegation.”
“It is extremely troubling to think that this egregious error is being politicized by Russia and its supporters to provide false propaganda about what Ukraine is fighting for.”
