Canada’s House speaker apologizes for ovation of Ukrainian who fought with Nazis

Canada’s House Speaker Anthony Rota apologized for his recognition of a Ukrainian who fought with the Nazis during World War II, which led to a standing ovation during a visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week.

After Zelensky delivered an address to the House of Commons on Friday, Rota introduced Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old immigrant from Ukraine, as a war hero for the First Ukrainian Division, prompting a standing ovation from Canadian lawmakers.

Zelensky raised his fist in acknowledgment as Rota said Hunka is a “Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service.”

In a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, Rota said he regretted recognizing Hunka and accepted “full responsibility” for his actions after being made aware of his past.  

“I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my action,” Rota said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.

Rota said Parliament members and the Ukraine delegation did not know about his plan to recognize Hunka. 

In a statement shared with The Hill, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office expressed its support for Rota’s apology.

“This was the right thing to do,” Trudeau’s office said in a statement. “No advance notice was provided to the Prime Minister’s Office, nor the Ukrainian delegation, about the invitation or the recognition.”

The office said it was proud to host Zelensky and will continue “stand for a free Ukraine.” 

Rota’s recognition of Hunka received backlash from Jewish groups in Canada, including the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a nonprofit human rights organization focused on Holocaust education and antisemitism programs, which demanded an apology. 

According to the nonprofit, Hunka was a member of a unit in the Waffen-SS, a Nazi military branch that was declared a criminal organization during the Nuremberg trials, which tried Nazis for genocidal war crimes. 

Calling Rota’s actions “shocking” and “incredibly disturbing,” the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center said the unit was “responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable.”

Zelensky’s visit to Canada marked his first since Russia invaded Ukraine 19 months ago.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly labeled the government in Ukraine as “neo-Nazis,” though Zelensky is Jewish. 

The Associated Press contributed.