The speaker of Canada's parliament has resigned after inviting a Ukrainian Nazi veteran, a 98-year-old Ukrainian World War II veteran, Yaroslav Hunka, to attend a special session of parliament.

Russian propaganda got a real gift, as the Ukrainian president applauded a veteran of the SS Galicia. Simultaneously, this invitation became an element of a political campaign in neighbouring Poland.

Whether this scandal will impact Canada's support for Ukraine and what this situation ultimately revealed are discussed in an article by the Vice-Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University, Dmytro Sherenhovsky, and the editor of Europravda, Yurii Panchenko, Gift for Russian Propaganda: What 'Nazi Scandal' in Canadian Parliament Showed.

On 22 September, during his North American tour, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Canadian Parliament. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also present at the session.

It turned out that Speaker of the Parliament Anthony Rota invited 98-year-old World War II veteran Yaroslav Hunka to this session, thanked him for his service, called him a "war hero," and asked those present to show him respect with applause.

According to Rota's explanations, this move was intended to demonstrate support for Ukraine's independence.

Immediately after the event, the Jewish organisation CIJA (Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs) expressed concern about the official honouring of Hunka.

CIJA is the most well-known and prominent pro-Israel lobbying group in Canada, actively monitoring and commenting on issues related to Jewish memory politics and Israel's policy in general.

CIJA pointed out that the veteran served in the 14th Ukrainian Grenadier Division Galicia, which is accused of involvement in the genocide of Jews. This led to widespread media coverage that turned into a political scandal in Canada.

Speaker Anthony Rota apologised for inviting Hunka. He stated that he later learned more information that made him regret his decision. However, due to public criticism, Rota eventually resigned on 26 September.

This scandal was eagerly seized upon by Russian propaganda, spreading narratives about "Ukrainian Nazis" and Western countries officially welcoming them.

While Ukrainians have become accustomed to Russian attacks, Poland's reaction was quite unexpected. The Polish Ambassador to Canada, Witold Dzielski, supported CIJA's outrage over Hunka's invitation and accused the Galicia division, not only of the destruction of Jews but also of Poles.

However, after Anthony Rota's public apology, the Polish diplomat stated that he understood the Speaker's unintentional actions and considered the incident closed.

The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs had a stronger reaction – Deputy Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk called this incident disgraceful. Poland's Minister of Education, Przemysław Czarnek, known for his controversial statements, criticised the situation.

Will this scandal affect Ukrainian-Canadian relations?

Most likely, the incident will not have a significant impact on the cooperation between the two countries and Canadian assistance to Ukraine during the war.

However, this situation should serve as a warning to Ukraine itself.

It is crucial to intensify educational activities regarding the Galicia division because any mention of it, despite several justifying court decisions, immediately opens the door to various speculations.

Similar situations will continue to generate social and media resonance and be used by those interested in criticising Ukraine.

This significantly complicates Kyiv's strategy for responding to such scandals, and there is no doubt that more will occur in the future.