As reported by AFP, the incident occurred during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit, causing significant disruption in Canada, leading to the resignation of the parliament’s speaker, and creating diplomatic tensions.
“I would like to present unreserved apologies for what took place on Friday and to President 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.”
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The Canadian Prime Minister was addressing a regrettable occurrence during Ukrainian President Zelensky’s recent visit, which caused a major controversy and ultimately resulted in the resignation of the parliament’s speaker on Tuesday. Zelensky had come to Canada as part of a tour aimed at strengthening Western backing for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion, AFP reported.
Zelensky was present in the chamber as a distinguished guest when the speaker, Anthony Rota, recognized the elderly veteran as a hero of World War II, leading to an enthusiastic standing ovation.
It was later revealed that the veteran had been a member of a military unit with ties to the Nazi regime.
Trudeau said earlier Wednesday that the mistake “deeply embarrassed Parliament, and Canada,” and he was apologizing in front of all Canadians and the Jewish people around the world.
“It was a horrendous violation of the memory of the millions of people who died in the Holocaust,” Trudeau said.
AFP reported that Rota stepped down, saying he had “profound regret for my error” and the pain he caused to Jewish communities in Canada and elsewhere.
Trudeau’s government has been under intense pressure over the affair, which Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre described as the “biggest single diplomatic embarrassment” in Canada’s history.
At the high-profile event for Zelensky, Rota had hailed Yaroslav Hunka as “a Ukrainian-Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians” and “a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero.”
Hunka served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, “a Nazi military unit whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are well-documented,” according to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center.
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The Jewish advocacy group called the incident “shocking” and “incredibly disturbing.”
Russia quickly jumped on the issue, saying Canada now had to “bring to justice” the 98-year-old man.
For years, Moscow has attempted to portray the pro-Western Ukrainian government, headed by President Zelensky (who is of Jewish descent), as having neo-Nazi affiliations. Moscow has consistently promoted this narrative through its state-controlled media channels as a means to rationalize its invasion of Ukraine to the Russian population.
Russia’s Ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, strongly criticized the “disturbing commemoration” and demanded that Prime Minister Trudeau issue an apology to Moscow for Hunka and his unit’s involvement in “numerous war crimes” against the Russian populace, reported AFP.
Canada is home to the world’s second-largest Ukrainian diaspora, following only Russia in terms of size.
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Trudeau said “I also want to reiterate how deeply sorry Canada is for the situation this put President Zelensky and the Ukrainian delegation,” and he signaled that Ottawa had already contacted Kyiv and Zelensky to apologize.
“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,” AFP reported.
(With inputs from AFP)
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Updated: 28 Sep 2023, 07:49 AM IST