Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing increasing criticism in the wake of a recent incident in the House of Commons. During the event, a 98-year-old man with a history of service alongside the Nazis during World War II received a standing ovation. Yaroslav Hunka, acknowledged by Speaker Anthony Rota as a war hero from the First Ukrainian Division, has ignited controversy.

Initially, Rota hailed Hunka as both a "Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero" and expressed gratitude for his service. However, following the revelation of Hunka's association with a Nazi unit by a Jewish human rights group, Rota issued an apology. He clarified that neither fellow Parliament members nor the Ukrainian delegation were aware of his intention to honor Hunka.

Despite Rota's apology, Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre held Trudeau responsible, alleging that Trudeau had "personally met with and honored" Hunka. Poilievre decried this as an "appalling error in judgment" on Trudeau's part, underlining that the prime minister's personal protocol office is responsible for vetting guests and organizing programming for state visits of this nature. Poilievre demanded a direct apology from Trudeau.

Simultaneously, the Jewish human rights group Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center called for an apology and an explanation regarding how Hunka gained access to Parliament. They expressed grave reservations regarding the honor bestowed upon someone who had been in a unit of the Waffen-SS, a branch of the Nazi military that was in charge of persecuting and killing Jews and others.

Russia also joined in seeking clarification from the Canadian government. Russia's ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, announced their intent to send a letter to Trudeau and a note to the Canadian foreign ministry, seeking an explanation for the incident

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