Canada’s Parliament Speaker Rota invited a 98-year-old to a speech by Ukrainian President Zelensky in the House of Commons and described him as a “hero.” But the man had fought in the Waffen-SS.
The leader of the Canadian House of Commons, Anthony Rota, has apologized for inviting a 98-year-old who, according to several organizations, was a former member of the Waffen-SS. Rota explained that he knew Jaroslaw Hunka from his constituency and had introduced him in parliament as a “Ukrainian and Canadian hero.” He regrets this based on information he received afterwards and asks the Jewish community in particular for forgiveness.
When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to the Canadian House of Commons for support for his country in the fight against Russian invading troops, 98-year-old Ukrainian immigrant Hunka sat in the gallery. Rota called him a war hero who fought “for the independence of Ukraine against the Russians.”
Strong criticism from Human rights organizations
This sparked massive criticism from Jewish organizations and the conservative opposition. The human rights organization Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) described it as “shocking” that a “veteran who had served in a Nazi military unit was invited to parliament and given a standing ovation.”
According to the FSCW, Hunka served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, also known as the Waffen-SS Division Galizien, during World War II. According to the FSCW, his unit is responsible for mass murder of innocent civilians and unimaginable brutalities. The organization called for an explanation of how a member of this division could be honored in the Canadian Parliament.
The Jewish human rights organization B’nai Brith Canada also spoke of an outrageous incident. Ultranationalist ideologues who dreamed of an ethnically homogeneous Ukraine and supported ethnic cleansing served in the Waffen SS Galicia Division.
According to the FSCW, 98-year-old Jaroslaw Hunka (right) served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS.
Rota: Ukrainian delegation knew nothing about the invitation
Rota said in his statement that he took full responsibility. He did not inform the Ukrainian delegation or other MPs in advance about his plan. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office welcomed the apology and assured that Trudeau also had no knowledge of Rota’s plans. The conservative opposition, on the other hand, spoke of a “serious misjudgment”.
The incident could be exploited by Russian propaganda. The Russian government repeatedly tries to portray its war enemy Ukraine as “neo-Nazi.” She also refers to the Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera, who temporarily collaborated with the Germans, was sentenced to death in absentia in the Soviet Union and murdered by a KGB agent in Munich.
Zelenskyj traveled to Canada after a visit to the USA. In the Canadian Parliament he called for further support for his country against the Russian war of aggression.