Zelenskyy Joins Canadian Parliament in Honoring WWII Veteran with Controversial Past

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Source: Forward
Zelenskyy Joins Canadian Parliament in Honoring WWII Veteran with Controversial Past
Photo: Forward
TL;DR

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a standing ovation from the Canadian Parliament during his visit, which included honoring a 98-year-old Ukrainian immigrant, Yaroslav Hunka, who fought in a Nazi military formation accused of war crimes. Hunka, a veteran from the Second World War, was recognized for his support of Ukrainian independence and the troops. The unit he fought with, the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (also known as SS Galichina), is honored by controversial monuments in Canada, Australia, Philadelphia, and Detroit, with Jewish groups calling for their removal. Zelenskyy, who denounced a march honoring SS Galichina in Kyiv earlier this year, was photographed smiling and raising a fist during the ovation.

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