Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing backlash across the world for inviting a Nazi soldier Yaroslav Hunka to Canadian Parliament and giving a standing ovation to him. Yaroslava Hunka was involved in the Jewish massacre and was part of the holocaust during the Second World War. After supporting the Khalistani terrorists this is the second unacceptable act done by the Canadian PM in the last 10 days. Yaroslava Hunka was a soldier of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (a Nazi division). The incident occurred when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Canadian Parliament and speaker of the parliament Anthony Rota honoured the 98-year-old Ukrainian immigrant. The recognition came after a visit by Zelenskiy when he thanked Canada for its help in his country’s war against Russia. 

The actions of the Canadian parliament are facing global outrage from the leaders and diplomats from different parts of the world. Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre apologised to the world and criticised Trudeau. “The Prime Minister’s personal protocol office is responsible for organising and vetting all guests and planning such state visits. We feel ashamed by this act of inhumanity,” Poilievre said. In addition, the speaker of the Canadian Parliament also apologised for firing Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian veteran who allegedly fought for the Nazis during World War II. 

The Kremlin said it was “reasonable” that a Ukrainian man who served in one of Adolf Hitler’s Waffen SS units during World War II was presented as a hero in Canada’s parliament. 98-year-old Jaroslav Hunka received two applause from Canadian lawmakers during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said 

“The episode showed disrespect for historical truth. The memory of Nazi crimes must be preserved.” He added “Such disregard for memory is scandalous. Many Western countries, including Canada, have raised a young generation that does not know who fought with whom or what happened during the Second World War. Canada knows nothing about the threat of fascism,” Dmitry Peskov. 

Anthony Rota presented Yaroslav Hunka as “a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran of World War II who fought for the independence of Ukraine against the Russians.” He said, “A hero of Ukraine is a hero of Canada.”  During World War II, when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, some Ukrainian nationalists joined Nazi units. According to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organisation, Jaroslav Hunka served in World War II as a member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS.