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Canadian PM apologizes after parliament honors Nazi veteran

Ottawa would continue to support Kiev, he said

OTTAWA, September 28. /TASS/. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has apologized after the country’s parliament honored Ukrainian Nazi veteran Yaroslav Hunka who served in the 1st Ukrainian Division, also known as the SS Galician Division, during World War II.

"This was a mistake that has deeply embarrassed Parliament and Canada," Trudeau told reporters. According to him, "it was a horrendous violation of the memory of the millions of people who died in the Holocaust." "It was deeply, deeply painful for Jewish people. It also hurt Polish people, Roma people to LGBTQI plus people, disabled people, racialized people and the many millions who were targeted by the Nazi genocide," Trudeau said.

"I also want to reiterate how deeply sorry Canada is for the situation," he stated, adding that Ottawa would continue to support Kiev.

Last week, the Associated Press agency published photos showing that during Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s address to the Canadian Parliament on September 22, the audience hailed the 98-year-old Nazi veteran. The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that Moscow would not "tolerate the Canadian liberals’ flirtation with Nazism," adding that the special ceremony honoring Hunka "characterizes the ruling regime of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau perfectly.".

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