Ukrainska Pravda
Wed, September 27, 2023
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologised on Wednesday, 27 September, on behalf of the state for inviting a veteran of the SS Galicia division to the Canadian Parliament during the visit of Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Source: European Pravda, referring to CBC
Details: In a brief statement to reporters, Trudeau said he and all those present in Canada's parliament "deeply regret having stood by and applauded" 98-year-old SS Galicia veteran Yaroslav Hunka.
"It was a horrendous violation of the memory of the millions of people who died in the Holocaust," he said, adding that Yaroslav Hunka's celebration was "deeply, deeply painful" to Jews, Poles, Roma, the LGBT community, and other groups that were exterminated by the Nazi regime during the Second World War.
In addition, Zelenskyy, who was on a visit to Ottawa, was pictured applauding for Hunka, and Russian propagandists have used this image to their advantage. Trudeau added that "Canada is deeply sorry" for the incident.
Earlier, Anthony Rota, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the lower house of the Parliament of Canada, announced his resignation over the scandal involving the invitation of the 98-year-old veteran.
Reference: The Waffen-SS Galicia Division was formed in 1943 by German troops who recruited Ukrainians to fight against the Red Army. The Nuremberg trials and the so-called Deschênes Commission, set up in Canada in the 1980s, did not confirm the involvement of the division's members in war crimes. Nevertheless, the division has been blamed for punitive Wehrmacht operations against Poles and Jews.
Trudeau Apologizes to Zelenskiy Over Parliament’s Nazi Invite
Brian Platt
Wed, September 27, 2023 at 12:48 PM MDT·1 min
(Bloomberg) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country is “deeply sorry” for putting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the position of unknowingly applauding a veteran who served in a Nazi unit.
“This was a mistake that has deeply embarrassed parliament and Canada,” Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday.
“I also want to reiterate how deeply sorry Canada is for the situation this put President Zelenskiy and the Ukrainian delegation in,” he said. “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.”
The veteran, 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka, had been invited to sit in the parliamentary gallery during Zelenskiy’s speech on Friday. Anthony Rota, the speaker of the House of Commons, issued the invitation and introduced Hunka as a Ukrainian Second World War veteran “who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians.”
It was later revealed Hunka served with the 1st Galician division, a unit of the German military’s Waffen-SS.
The story was quickly pounced on by Russian diplomats and state-controlled media. Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to justify his invasion of Ukraine as aiming to “de-Nazify” the country, even though Zelenskiy himself is Jewish.
Rota profusely apologized for the invitation, stressing that neither Trudeau nor Zelenskiy was aware of it ahead of time. On Tuesday, Rota announced he would resign as speaker over the fiasco.
Trudeau said everyone who stood and applauded Hunka “did so unaware of the context.”
“It was a horrendous violation of the memory of the millions of people who died in the Holocaust, and it was deeply, deeply painful for Jewish people.”
Trudeau apologizes for recognition of Nazi unit war veteran in Canadian Parliament
ROB GILLIES
Updated Wed, September 27, 2023 at 3:05 PM MDT·2 min read
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologizes for the events surrounding Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskyy's visit at a media availability in Ottawa, Ontario, on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. Trudeau apologized Wednesday for Parliament’s recognition of Yaroslav Hunka, who fought alongside the Nazis during last week’s address by Zelenskyy.
(Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized Wednesday for Parliament’s recognition of a man who fought alongside the Nazis during last week’s address by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trudeau said the speaker of the House of Commons, who resigned Tuesday, was “solely responsible” for the invitation and recognition of the man but said it was a mistake that has deeply embarrassed Parliament and Canada.
“All of us who were in the House on Friday regret deeply having stood and clapped, even though we did so unaware of the context,” Trudeau said before he entering the House of Commons. “It was a horrendous violation of the memory of the millions of people who died in the Holocaust, and was deeply, deeply painful for Jewish people.”
Trudeau repeated the apology in Parliament.
Just after Zelenskyy delivered an address in the House of Commons on Friday, Canadian lawmakers gave 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka a standing ovation when Speaker Anthony Rota drew attention to him. Rota introduced Hunka as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division.
Observers over the weekend began to publicize the fact that the First Ukrainian Division also was known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis.
“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," Trudeau said.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that the standing ovation for Hunka was “outrageous," and he called it the result of a “sloppy attitude" toward remembering the Nazi regime. Russian President Vladimir Putin has painted his enemies in Ukraine as “neo-Nazis,” although Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust.
Speaker of the House Anthony Rota stepped down on Tuesday after meeting with the House of Commons’ party leaders, and after all of the main opposition parties called on him to resign.
House government leader Karina Gould said that Rota invited and recognized Hunka without informing the government or the delegation from Ukraine, and that his lack of due diligence had broken the trust of lawmakers.
In an earlier apology on Sunday, Rota said he alone was responsible for inviting and recognizing Hunka, who is from the district that Rota represents. The speaker’s office said it was Hunka’s son who contacted Rota’s local office to see if it was possible if he could attend Zelenskyy’s speech.
The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies has called the incident "a stain on our country’s venerable legislature with profound implications both in Canada and globally.”
Trudeau apologizes for ‘embarassing’ celebration of Ukrainian veteran who fought for Nazi unit in World War II
TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized Wednesday for Parliament’s recognition of a man who fought alongside the Nazis during last week’s address by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trudeau said the speaker of the House of Commons, who resigned Tuesday, was “solely responsible” for the invitation and recognition of the man but said it was a mistake that has deeply embarrassed Parliament and Canada.
“All of us who were in the House on Friday regret deeply having stood and clapped, even though we did so unaware of the context,” Trudeau said before he entering the House of Commons. “It was a horrendous violation of the memory of the millions of people who died in the Holocaust, and was deeply, deeply painful for Jewish people.”
Trudeau repeated the apology in Parliament.
Just after Zelenskyy delivered an address in the House of Commons on Friday, Canadian lawmakers gave 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka a standing ovation when Speaker Anthony Rota drew attention to him. Rota introduced Hunka as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division.
Observers over the weekend began to publicize the fact that the First Ukrainian Division also was known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis.
“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," Trudeau said.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that the standing ovation for Hunka was “outrageous," and he called it the result of a “sloppy attitude" toward remembering the Nazi regime. Russian President Vladimir Putin has painted his enemies in Ukraine as “neo-Nazis,” although Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust.
Speaker of the House Anthony Rota stepped down on Tuesday after meeting with the House of Commons’ party leaders, and after all of the main opposition parties called on him to resign.
House government leader Karina Gould said that Rota invited and recognized Hunka without informing the government or the delegation from Ukraine, and that his lack of due diligence had broken the trust of lawmakers.
In an earlier apology on Sunday, Rota said he alone was responsible for inviting and recognizing Hunka, who is from the district that Rota represents. The speaker’s office said it was Hunka’s son who contacted Rota’s local office to see if it was possible if he could attend Zelenskyy’s speech.
The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies has called the incident "a stain on our country’s venerable legislature with profound implications both in Canada and globally.”
Trudeau apologizes for ‘embarassing’ celebration of Ukrainian veteran who fought for Nazi unit in World War II
Paula Newton, CNN
Wed, September 27, 2023 at 5:26 PM MDT·2 min read
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau formally apologized on behalf of Canada’s parliament Wednesday, referring to the “deeply embarrassing” incident last week that saw the chamber applaud a Ukrainian veteran who fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II.
“This was a mistake that has deeply embarrassed parliament and Canada. All of us who were in this House on Friday regret deeply having stood and clapped, even though we did so unaware of the context,” said Trudeau in a media briefing in Ottawa Wednesday.
Trudeau also recognized diplomatic damage done to the visiting Ukrainian delegation in attendance that day, which included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I also want to reiterate how deeply sorry Canada is for the situation this put President Zelensky and the Ukrainian delegation in. 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,” he said.
On Friday, following an address by Zelensky, House of Commons speaker Anthony Rota lauded veteran Yaroslav Hunka as a Ukrainian-Canadian war hero who “fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russian aggressors then, and continues to support the troops today.”
Hunka, 98, received an extended standing ovation.
But in the days since, human rights and Jewish organizations have said that Hunka served in a Nazi military unit known as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS.
The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division was part of the Nazi SS organization declared a criminal organization by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg in 1946, which determined the Nazi group had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Jewish human rights organization B’nai Brith Canada in a statement condemned the Ukrainian volunteers who served in the unit as “ultra-nationalist ideologues” who “dreamed of an ethnically homogenous Ukrainian state and endorsed the idea of ethnic cleansing.”
Rota has resigned his post amid the fallout, and Poland’s Minister of Education has published a letter saying that he is taking steps towards Hunka’s possible extradition.
Poland's Foreign Ministry calls SS Galicia veteran's appearance at Canadian Parliament shameful
Ukrainska Pravda
Wed, September 27, 2023
Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk has described the honouring of Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old veteran of the Waffen-SS Galicia division, by the Canadian Parliament as shameful.
Source: European Pravda, citing the Polish press agency PAP
Details: "The Canadian parliament's honouring of a Ukrainian who fought in the ranks of the SS Galicia division was shameful and indicates a great lack of knowledge about the Second World War," Mularczyk said.
"It is shameful that the officials of the Canadian Parliament were not aware of the historical facts regarding the Waffen-SS. This is a clear demonstration of gaps in the knowledge of the history of the Second World War," he added.
Mularczyk said that when he travels abroad, he often encounters a lack of understanding of what went on in Eastern Europe during the Second World War.
"Few people know about Poland's losses and the fact that Poland did not receive compensation for them," the diplomat said.
"I am saddened by the lack of knowledge that has occurred in Canada," Mularczyk said. He noted, however, that the overall situation could help Canada become an ally of Poland in seeking reparations from Germany.
Reminder:
Anthony Rota, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the lower house of the Parliament of Canada, announced his resignation on Tuesday amid the scandal involving the invitation of 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka to Parliament for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speech last week.
The Speaker was called on to resign by colleagues and members of the government after it emerged that he had invited 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka to Parliament during Zelenskyy's visit to Canada last week. Rota presented him as a World War II veteran who fought against the Russians.
Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine.
Canada House Speaker resigns after celebrating Ukrainian veteran who fought for Nazi unit in World War II
Paula Newton, CNN
Wed, September 27, 2023
Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons Anthony Rota resigned his post Tuesday, days after he praised a Ukrainian veteran who fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II.
On Friday, following a joint address to parliament by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Rota lauded Yaroslav Hunka, 98, as a Ukrainian-Canadian war hero who “fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russian aggressors then, and continues to support the troops today.”
But in the days since, human rights and Jewish organizations have condemned Rota’s recognition, saying Hunka served in a Nazi military unit known as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS.
“This house is above any of us, therefore I must step down as your speaker,” Rota said in parliament Tuesday afternoon, reiterating his “profound regret for my error.”
“That public recognition has caused pain to individuals and communities, including the Jewish community in Canada and around the world, in addition to survivors of Nazi atrocities in Poland, among other nations,” Rota, who is a member of the Liberal party, added. “I accept full responsibility for my actions.”
Rota’s recognition of Hunka last week prompted a standing ovation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the incident “deeply embarrassing.”
The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division was part of the Nazi SS organization declared a criminal organization by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg in 1946, which determined the Nazi group had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Jewish human rights organization B’nai Brith Canada in a statement condemned the Ukrainian volunteers who served in the unit as “ultra-nationalist ideologues” who “dreamed of an ethnically homogenous Ukrainian state and endorsed the idea of ethnic cleansing.”
Paula Newton, CNN
Wed, September 27, 2023
Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons Anthony Rota resigned his post Tuesday, days after he praised a Ukrainian veteran who fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II.
On Friday, following a joint address to parliament by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Rota lauded Yaroslav Hunka, 98, as a Ukrainian-Canadian war hero who “fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russian aggressors then, and continues to support the troops today.”
But in the days since, human rights and Jewish organizations have condemned Rota’s recognition, saying Hunka served in a Nazi military unit known as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS.
“This house is above any of us, therefore I must step down as your speaker,” Rota said in parliament Tuesday afternoon, reiterating his “profound regret for my error.”
“That public recognition has caused pain to individuals and communities, including the Jewish community in Canada and around the world, in addition to survivors of Nazi atrocities in Poland, among other nations,” Rota, who is a member of the Liberal party, added. “I accept full responsibility for my actions.”
Rota’s recognition of Hunka last week prompted a standing ovation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the incident “deeply embarrassing.”
The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division was part of the Nazi SS organization declared a criminal organization by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg in 1946, which determined the Nazi group had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Jewish human rights organization B’nai Brith Canada in a statement condemned the Ukrainian volunteers who served in the unit as “ultra-nationalist ideologues” who “dreamed of an ethnically homogenous Ukrainian state and endorsed the idea of ethnic cleansing.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shakes hands with House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looks on last Friday in Ottawa.
- Dave Chan/AFP via Getty Images
Recognizing Hunka was “beyond outrageous,” B’nai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn said, adding, “We cannot allow the whitewashing of history.”
“Canadian soldiers fought and died to free the world from the evils of Nazi brutality,” he said.
Rota apologized in a statement Sunday and on the floor of parliament Tuesday, when he said he had “become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to recognize this individual.”
Rota took full responsibility, saying it was his decision alone to acknowledge Hunka, who Rota said is from his electoral district.
“No one – not even anyone among you, fellow parliamentarians, or from the Ukrainian delegation – was privy to my intention or my remarks prior to their delivery,” he said.
Recognizing Hunka was “beyond outrageous,” B’nai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn said, adding, “We cannot allow the whitewashing of history.”
“Canadian soldiers fought and died to free the world from the evils of Nazi brutality,” he said.
Rota apologized in a statement Sunday and on the floor of parliament Tuesday, when he said he had “become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to recognize this individual.”
Rota took full responsibility, saying it was his decision alone to acknowledge Hunka, who Rota said is from his electoral district.
“No one – not even anyone among you, fellow parliamentarians, or from the Ukrainian delegation – was privy to my intention or my remarks prior to their delivery,” he said.
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