The opposition in Canada is placing the blame for the SS “Galicia” veteran scandal on Prime Minister Trudeau – NYT

The opposition and several commentators in Canada are holding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responsible for the scandal surrounding the honoring of a veteran of the SS “Galicia” division in Parliament.

This has been reported by The New York Times.

Lori Turnbull, a professor of public and international relations at Dalhousie University in Halifax, stated that there is no doubt that “this was a real mistake” on the part of House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota, who has already resigned.

“But that doesn’t matter. The fact is, we are still a country that made Zelensky applaud a guy who fought for the Nazis. I don’t understand how you solve this problem without some recognition from the prime minister that something really awful happened”, – she said.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre also accused Trudeau of failing to vet the guests at the event in Parliament.

The head of the government’s House, on behalf of Trudeau, stated that the invitation to Yaroslav Hunko was extended without the government’s knowledge. The Prime Minister’s office also claims that the responsibility for security checks at the event lies solely with the House of Commons and not with any government body.

The New York Times notes that Canada has long held the position that mere membership in the 14th Waffen SS “Galicia” division is not a war crime, although individual members can be held accountable for specific atrocities. In 1985, a national commission found no evidence of involvement in war crimes by former members of this SS division living in Canada. Jewish organizations have criticized this position, and the presence of an SS veteran in the Canadian Parliament has renewed calls for its reassessment.

The publication also quotes Dominik Arell, head of the Ukrainian Studies department at the University of Ottawa.

“Since they were trained by SS officers, you can imagine the political indoctrination they received. Even if their goal was independence, the unit fought on the side of the Nazis and was trained by them. There is no doubt about that,” says Arell.

To recap, a veteran of the SS “Galicia” division was invited to the Canadian Parliament, where he was applauded by everyone present, including Zelensky and Trudeau. This led to a scandal in the media, with Jewish organizations and Polish authorities expressing outrage. The Polish Ambassador demanded an apology for the presence of the “Galicia” division veteran in the Canadian Parliament.