Canadian Parliament Speaker Resigns After Publicly Praising Former Nazi Soldier
The speaker of Canada's Parliament resigned days after publicly honouring a Ukrainian veteran who fought in a Nazi unit during World War II.
What happened??
During a visit to the Canadian Parliament by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky last week, speaker Anthony Rota hailed an elderly Ukrainian immigrant from his district as a hero, prompting a standing ovation.But Rota has faced growing pressure to resign after it was revealed that the veteran had served in a Nazi-linked military unit.
Anthony Rota then told legislators he had made a mistake by inviting ex-soldier Yaroslav Hunka, 98, to attend a session in the House honouring Ukrainian President Zelenskyy last Friday.
Addressing Canadian lawmakers in Ottawa on Tuesday afternoon, Speaker Anthony Rota said he was resigning "with a heavy heart".
"This House is above any of us. Therefore, I must step down as your speaker," said Rota.
When and where did the incident take place?
The incident happened at the Parliament of Canada at Parliament Hill in Ottawa last Friday (September 22) when the Parliament was hosting an address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Who is Yaroslav Hunka?
Hunka served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Nazi's SS military unit, said the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish community group.He received standing ovations in the House of Commons, including from Zelenskyy and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who were in attendance.
How did Russian and Canadian authorities react to the fiasco?
On Monday, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau told reporters it was "extremely upsetting that this happened".
"This is something that is deeply embarrassing to the parliament of Canada and, by extension, to all Canadians," he added.
Russia said it was "outrageous" that Hunka was honoured in Canada. "Such sloppiness of memory is outrageous," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
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