Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, during a visit by President Volodymyr Zelensky, offered “Parliament’s most sincere apology” for last Friday’s tribute to a Ukrainian veteran who fought with the Nazis.
On Tuesday, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, bowed to political pressure and resigned from his post after calling the assembly to praise 98-year-old Yaroslav Hanka, a resident of his constituency who was a member of the SS Galicia. The division was a volunteer unit under the Nazi command of the Waffen-SS.
The leader of the congregation is solely responsible for the invitation to this man and the tribute paid to him.
Mr. Trudeau said during a press conference.
It was a mistake that deeply embarrassed Parliament and Canada, and we all in the House deeply regret standing up and applauding, even if we did so without knowing the context.
This error is a cruel violation of the memory of the millions who died in the Holocaust and deeply offends Jews.
he added. It was painful for Poles, Roma, LGBTQ+ people, the disabled, people of color and the millions of people who were persecuted by the Nazi regime.
Every year Holocaust survivors are less likely to share the horrors they saw and experienced, so it is the responsibility of all of us to make sure that no one forgets what happened.
The Prime Minister also wanted to emphasize How Canada regrets the situation in which President Zelensky and the Ukrainian delegation have been placed
. It is very disturbing to think that Russia and its supporters are politicizing this blatant mistake to spread lies about why Ukraine is fighting and defending itself.
Mr. Zelensky was in Ottawa on Friday after visiting the United States to ask for more Western help in its war against Russia. Since the start of the Russian invasion, President Vladimir Putin has been declaring that Ukraine must be destroyed. While it is true that far-right organizations are active there, this phenomenon is partly, above all, amplified by Russian propaganda.
More details to come
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