It was a well-intentioned plan. On the occasion of Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the Canadian parliament, a compatriot of the Ukrainian president was honored as a veteran who fought for Ukraine’s independence against the Soviet Union in the Second World War. However, the dark past of 98-year-old immigrant Jaroslaw Hunka was overlooked.
According to the organization Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC), Hunka served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, also known as the Waffen-SS Galizien Division. Classified as a criminal organization after the end of the war at the Nuremberg Trials, the SS had national associations involved in war crimes in many occupied countries.
Hunka was present in the audience and received thunderous applause during his presentation. According to Radio Canada, he lives in the constituency of Parliament Speaker Anthony Rota. The FSWC was furious, the Canadian parliament, and especially the president, suffered a violent shitstorm on social media. Canadian political scientist Ivan Katchanovski has also dug up photos from Hunka’s SS time and posted them on X (formerly Twitter).
After the facts became known, Parliament Speaker Rota seemed more than remorseful and took “full responsibility” for his actions. “I would especially like to express my deepest regrets to the Jewish communities in Canada and around the world,” the politician said this weekend.
Kiev and the “neo-Nazis”
Russian propaganda repeatedly tries to portray the war enemy Ukraine as ‘neo-Nazi’. She also refers to the Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera (1909-1959), who temporarily collaborated with the Germans, was sentenced to death in absentia in the Soviet Union and was murdered in Munich by a KGB agent.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
