Outrage has been sparked after the Canadian Parliament and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky applauded a man named Yaroslav Huka.
Described as a Ukrainian war hero who fought the Russians by Speaker Anthony Rota, Hunka is seen on camera standing and pumping his fist while Zelensky and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau cheer. The problem? Hunka’s fight against the Russians came when he was a member of the Waffen SS fighting for nazi Germany.
Canadian Parliament and Zelensky give a standing ovation to Yaroslav Hunka, who fought for the 14th division of the Waffen SS
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) September 24, 2023
Rota praised him as a “Ukrainian hero and Canadian” and thanked him for his service.
Rota, the Ukrainian, and Zelensky, the Russian, immediately made excuses. Rota claimed they didn’t know about Hunka’s past. It’s strange that this is the case since it was revealed that Hunka fought for Hitler in World War II. Zelensky, the Ukrainian, also should have been aware that anyone who fought the Russians during World War II was fighting for Hitler.
To make matters worse, this happened on the eve of Yom Kippur, and the Waffen SS unit that Hunka served in was accused of committing atrocities against Jews. Further, there is no doubt that the unit was fully in collaboration with nazi Germany.
Rota apologizes to all those who stood and applauded.
I recognized someone in the audience when I spoke after the speech by the president of Ukraine. Since then, Rota has learned new information which makes him regret his decision.
Rota claimed that Hunka was from his district.
The world is more complex than this binary. And SS troops who fought Russians in past times did not become heroes because of their service.
Hunka is a remarkable man. His presence at the event was amazing.
The ADL and its CEO Jonathan Greenblatt made no comments on the incident. Once again, partisan politics are getting in the way of an organization that claims to combat anti-Semitism.
