Canada’s “greatest diplomatic embarrassment”. This is how Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre described the fact that a former Nazi soldier was honored and applauded in parliament on Friday during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized again on Wednesday after Parliament leader Anthony Rota took responsibility for paying tribute to Yaroslav Hunka and resigned. On this side of the Atlantic, Poland is already investigating whether the 98-year-old veteran is wanted for crimes against Poland and can be extradited. And the Kremlin exists to be brought to justice.
“All of us who were in this House on Friday deeply regret having stood up and applauded despite being unaware of the context”Trudeau told reporters. “It was a terrible violation of the memory of millions of people who died in the Holocaust.” he added, speaking of a “very painful” tribute to Jews, Poles, Gypsies and the LGBT community, referring to groups targeted by the Nazi regime during World War II.
The Prime Minister, who had already apologized, reiterated that Canada “deeply regrets” the situation, which is already being exploited by Russian propaganda. Zelensky applauded Hunka, as did everyone present, saying one of Moscow’s arguments for the “special military operation” was the “denazification” of Ukraine.
The veteran was praised by the speaker of parliament as a fighter “for Ukrainian independence against the Russians” and a “Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero.” However, he he served in a Nazi military unit, the 14th SS Grenadier Division (known as the Galician Division), whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are “well documented”, according to Jewish organizations, which found the tribute “shocking”. Dozens of members of this unit were allowed to settle in Canada, claiming that being part of it was “insufficient” to trigger proceedings. In the past, Hunka defended her fight for “Ukrainian independence” by joining this unit of Ukrainian volunteers to fight against the Soviet Union.
Polish Education Minister Przemyslaw Czarnek wrote this on Twitter (renamed X). “in view of the scandalous events in the Canadian parliament” he had “taken steps with a view to possible extradition to Poland”. This official asked that documents from the Institute of National Remembrance be “urgently” examined to determine whether Hunka is responsible for crimes against Poland. “The characteristics of these crimes constitute grounds to request his extradition,” he said.
The Kremlin itself believed that the veteran should be tried. “Canadian authorities have a duty to bring this criminal to justice – or extradite those who would bring him to justice.”, said spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Moscow still considers Rota’s dismissal as ‘insufficient’. “Of course he took responsibility, but what about Parliament itself, which stood up and applauded the fascist?” Peskov added. “It is clear that reason here dictates the need for some form of condemnation of Nazism. Parliament must do this, otherwise it is a parliament that is tarnished by this applause.” defended.
Source: DN
