Anthony Rota, the House Speaker, made a public apology following the incident where members of Parliament accorded a standing ovation to one who fought for a Nazi division during the Second World War. However, according to the Polish ambassador to Canada, Witold Dzielski, the apology fell short of addressing the atrocities committed by this division against Polish citizens during the war.
Dzielski took great offense to seeing a Nazi veteran applauded in the House of Commons and considered the responses by Rota and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau inadequate. Dzielski vehemently expressed his dissatisfaction with Poland being disregarded in these apologies, given that the division was responsible for the mass murder of Polish citizens.
During Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Friday address to Parliament, Rota acknowledged 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka who fought for the First Ukrainian Division, infamously known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division of the Nazis. This division, composed of volunteers under Nazi command, was notorious for perpetrating heinous crimes against Poles, killing not only military personnel but also civilians.
Dzielski insisted that such individuals should be excluded from public life and potentially face legal actions for their actions. Rota expressed his regrets to the Jewish community and clarified that neither the Ukrainian delegation nor the rest of the House of Commons was aware of his plan to recognize Hunka. Likewise, Trudeau expressed his profound embarrassment over the incident. The NDP and Bloc have since called for Rota’s resignation.
Dzielski, despite gaining a personal apology from Rota, believes the incident reflects careless mistakes that should not be overlooked. He emphasized the need for an accurate understanding of history, as distortion often results in deep emotional harm.
Speaking on the presence of individuals like Hunka in public places, the Polish ambassador was emphatic that they should be prosecuted for their past offenses. Dzielski is also concerned about this incident being manipulated as ammunition for Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine. He urged for getting the facts right and solidarity in supporting Ukraine’s struggle for freedom and democracy.
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