Zelensky joins Canadian Parliament’s ovation to WWII Nazi soldier
During the session where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered his speech, Yaroslav Hunka, a former Nazi soldier in Ukraine, received a standing ovation.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and PM Justin Trudeau recognize Yaroslav Hunka, who was in attendance and fought with the First Ukrainian Division in World War II before later immigrating to Canada, in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle)
During a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a 98-year-old former Nazi Ukrainian soldier, Yaroslav Hunka, who had served in a Waffen-SS division during WWII, received a standing ovation from the Canadian Parliament.
Zelensky visited Canada on Friday, delivering a speech before the Parliament where he sought continued support in the Ukraine war. Following his visit to the United States, he engaged in discussions with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Hunka was among the attendees when the Ukrainian president addressed the Canadian Parliament, recognizing the historical animosity between Ukraine and Russia.
The Canadian parliament gave a standing ovation to Yaroslav Hunk, a member of the 14th Waffen-SS division who fought on the side of Germany in WWII and took part in the Holocaust.
— Denis Rogatyuk (@DenisRogatyuk) September 24, 2023
Every single person who applauded him is now officially a Naz! sympathiser. pic.twitter.com/Oh1I416myn
He was invited by spokesman Anthony Rota, who introduced him as a war veteran who served in the "1st Ukrainian Division."
Former Nazi soldier Hunka received praise and a standing ovation from those in attendance "for his role in combat during World War II." However, it's noteworthy that Hunka was a member of the Nazi Division 14 of the Waffen-SS, which has historical associations with Nazi Germany and had committed genocide against Poles and Jews in Western Ukraine.
When they focus on the fact that he was “fighting the Russians” during WW2, but leave out the part where the Russians were fighting the Nazis… and Yaroslav Hunk was fighting the Russians *with Nazi Germany* https://t.co/7ptnGMwILL
— Rachel Blevins (@RachBlevins) September 24, 2023
This issue triggered significant outrage on social media, as Canadian journalists and activists from various backgrounds pointed out that this individual's history had been glossed over by veterans' organizations in Western countries.
Read next: Kiev forces have big Nazi problem: former US soldier to RT
Others expressed astonishment at the recognition of "an immigrant who served in a military unit of the Third Reich and faced accusations of committing 'war crimes.'"
These are photos of SS Galicia Division veteran who was given standing ovation by Canadian parliament, prime-minister of Canada and president of Ukraine. He published these photos of himself in this division during training in Germany. He is standing in the middle in 1st photo,… pic.twitter.com/YkfKZbJ1i7
— Ivan Katchanovski (@I_Katchanovski) September 24, 2023
It is worth noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin has emphasized on multiple occasions that Russian soldiers are fighting "to liberate their homeland from Nazism," underscoring the importance of preventing the resurgence of Nazism, which inflicted considerable suffering on various nations.
