Explained: The controversy surrounding Nazi veteran that has forced Canada speaker to quit

A 98-year-old World War II “hero” who fought for Ukraine’s independence seemed to be receiving a heartfelt and righteous tribute from Canadian politicians. However, it soon came to light that the man had actually served in an infamous Nazi unit, which sparked outrage over the standing ovation he had received in front of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Let’s take a closer look. Also read: How India-Canada ties turned rocky under Justin’s father, Pierre Trudeau The standing ovation On 22 September, during Ukrainian president Zelenskyy’s speech in Canada’s Parliament, Yaroslav Hunka was honoured by the Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada. The speaker of parliament Anthony Rota hailed Hunka as “a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians” and “a Canadian hero.” Then, the parliamentarians in attendance, together with Zelenskyy and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau gave the nonagenarian a standing ovation. Hunka participated in World War Two as a member of the 14th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division, a voluntary Nazi-commanded organisation made up primarily of ethnic Ukrainians. Despite the division not having been found guilty of any war crimes by a court, its members are accused of murdering Polish and Jewish citizens, according to NBC News. Before surrendering to the Western Allies in 1945, the group was given the new name First Ukrainian Division. According to Dominique Arel, head of Ukrainian studies at the University of Ottawa, the division attracted hundreds of Ukrainian volunteers, many of whom joined in the hopes of achieving Ukrainian independence. The Jewish advocacy group called the incident “shocking” and “incredibly disturbing.” “This incident has compromised all 338 Members of Parliament,” the organisation said, adding it had “handed a propaganda victory to Russia, distracting from what was a momentously significant display of unity between Canada and Ukraine.” Also read: Will India-Canada ties continue? What Canada's defence minister said Deepest apologies Rota, who was first elected in 2004 and became speaker in 2019, apologised on Sunday, saying that he had “subsequently become aware of more information” which caused him to regret his remarks about Hunka. “No one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered the. This initiative was entirely my own… I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_13175572” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota delivers a speech following an address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. AP[/caption] On Monday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Rota’s remarks shameful. “This is something that is deeply embarrassing to the parliament of Canada and by extension to all Canadians,” he said. The main opposition Conservatives slammed the Trudeau administration for failing to properly vet Hunka, despite claims it had no advance notice he’d been invited to the event. Responding to Rota’s statement, the Canadian Jewish group The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said it appreciated the apology, adding that “proper vetting is imperative to ensure such an unacceptable incident does not occur again”. Rota apologised again on Monday, speaking in person to colleagues on the floor of the House. Criticism One of those expressing displeasure was Poland’s ambassador to Canada, who demanded an apology for the way the legislature “whitewashed such villains.” According to a statement by Polish minister Przemyslaw Czarnek, Poland is looking into legal and diplomatic measures to request the extradition of Hunka. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Czarnek wrote, “In view of the scandalous events in the Canadian Parliament, which involved honouring, in the presence of President Zelenskyy, a member of the criminal Nazi SS Galizien formation, I have taken steps towards the possible extradition of this man to Poland.” Russia has accused the government in Kyiv of espousing Nazi ideals, despite Zelenskyy being Jewish and losing family members in the Holocaust, and the controversy was likely to add fodder to that narrative. The Russian embassy in Canada posted on social media that it was an “insult to the memory of Canada’s sons and daughters who fought Nazism in WWII.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the incident in the House “outrageous” on Monday. “Many Western countries, including Canada, have raised a young generation that does not know who fought whom or what happened during the Second World War. And they know nothing about the threat of fascism,” he said. Russia’s ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, said that inviting the former Nazi into Parliament was no accident, calling the Canadian government “essentially the personification of neoliberal fascism,” according to Russian news agency RIA. And Russia’s permanent representative in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, called it a “shameful day for Canada,” the news agency reported. According to Russian state-owned news agency TASS, Stepanov the Russian Embassy in Ottawa will send a note to Canadian Foreign Ministry and PM Trudeau’s Office seeking a clarification on the issue. Also read: Who is Irmgard Furchner, 97-year-old ex-secretary of Nazi commander, convicted of complicity in 10,500 murders? The speaker’s resignation On Tuesday, Rota tendered his resignation days after publicly celebrating the veteran in the Parliament. “No one in this House is above any of us. Therefore I must step down as your speaker,” Rota said in Parliament. “I reiterate my profound regret for my error in recognizing an individual in the House during the joint address to Parliament of President Zelenskyy. “That public recognition has caused pain to individuals and communities, including to the Jewish community in Canada and around the world in addition to Nazi survivors in Poland among other nations. I accept full responsibility for my actions,” he added. Rota has faced growing pressure to resign from opposition politicians, including New Democrat MP Peter Julian, who called the incident an “unforgivable error”. “Unfortunately I believe a sacred trust has been broken,” he said in the House. Trudeau on Monday did not call on Rota, who is a member of the prime minister’s Liberal Party, to step down. His office has said the decision to invite Hunka had been made by the Speaker’s office alone. It also denied allegations that a private meeting took place between Hunka and the prime minister. Zelenskyy’s visit to Canada Zelensky’s visit to Canada was the third leg in a tour aimed at bolstering international support, after addressing the United Nations and visiting US President Joe Biden in Washington. During the visit, Trudeau pledged additional aid to Zelensky’s war-torn country. Canada is home to the world’s second-largest Ukrainian diaspora and Zelensky, in his speech to parliament, expressed thanks for the backing given to Kyiv since Russian troops poured over the Ukrainian borders in February 2022. With inputs from agencies