Canadian Prime Minister Apologises for Honouring Former Nazi from Ukraine

(Patria) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday offered an "unreserved" apology in parliament after the legislative body publicly, albeit unknowingly, honoured a Ukrainian Second World War veteran who fought alongside the Nazis, AFP reported.

The incident last week during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shook Canada, prompted the speaker of parliament to resign and sparked diplomatic turmoil.

"I would like to offer an unreserved apology for what happened on Friday to President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian delegation for the position they were put in, to all of us who were present," Trudeau told lawmakers.

"Unknowingly paying tribute to this person was a terrible mistake and a violation of the memory of those who suffered grievously at the hands of the Nazi regime," he added.
The Canadian leader spoke about the shameful incident that marred Zelenskyy's visit last week, causing a commotion that led to the speaker's resignation on Tuesday.

The Ukrainian president was in Canada as part of a tour to bolster Western support for his country's fight against the Russian invasion. Zelenskyy was in the chamber as an honoured guest when House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota singled out Yaroslav Hunka, an elderly veteran, as a Second World War hero, prompting a standing ovation.

It later emerged that Hunka had served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS.
Trudeau's government has been under intense pressure over the affair, which Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre described as the "single greatest diplomatic embarrassment" in Canada's history. Canada has the second-largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world after Russia.