Days after triggering an ugly diplomatic row with India, Canadian leader Justin Trudeau faced severe criticism from the country's opposition and Jewish people the world over after he honoured a man linked to a Nazi division over the weekend.
Nazi Man Dubbed as Ukrainian Hero
Notably, the man named Yaroslav Hunka received a standing ovation from Canadian lawmakers after the speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, introduced him in parliament as a "Ukrainian hero".
According to Canadian-based Jewish groups, Hunka was associated with the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the German forces during World War II.
Canadian Opposition Tears Into Trudeau's Government
Ripping into Trudeau for his "appalling error in judgment", Canada's leader of opposition, Pierre Poilievre, demanded an apology from him on Monday.
"It has come out today that Justin Trudeau personally met with and honoured a veteran of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (a Nazi division). Liberals then arranged for this Nazi veteran to be recognized on the floor of the House of Commons during the visit of the Ukrainian President", Poilievre posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"This is an appalling error in judgment on the part of Justin Trudeau, whose personal protocol office is responsible for arranging and vetting all guests and programming for state visits of this kind", he added.
Jewish Group Slams Canadian Authorities
Joining Poilievre in slamming Trudeau were the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre (FSWC), a non-profit Jewish organisation headquartered in Toronto, and Poilievre's Conservative Party colleague Melissa Lantsman.
The NGO, dedicated to educating people about the Holocaust, called the development "appalling".
"FSWC is appalled that Canada's Parliament gave a standing ovation to a Ukrainian veteran who served in a Nazi military unit during the Second World War implicated in the mass murder of Jews and others. An apology and explanation is owed".
On the other hand, Lantsman accused Trudeau and his Cabinet of lying about the whole situation.
"This man was invited to a private reception with PM Trudeau. Do they really expect anyone to believe he wasn't vetted? Seems implausible", Lantsman stated.
Canada House Speaker Regrets Decision, Apologizes to Jews
With the controversy spiralling and the Trudeau administration becoming a subject of social media trolling, the speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, issued an apology.
"On Friday, September 22, in my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so", Rota said in a statement.
"I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my actions", he noted.
The incident took place during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's official tour of Canada last week.
Canada's Billion-Dollar Aid to Ukraine
Canada has been one of Ukraine's most ardent supporters in its armed effort against Russia's special military operation that began last year in February.
Ottawa has provided over $8 billion in assistance to Kiev, including nearly $2 billion in military aid since last year, as per a report published in July.
Last week, Trudeau announced a fresh package of $650 million in defence aid to Ukraine.
This includes 50 armoured vehicles, training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 warplanes, and maintenance of Leopard 2 battle tanks, among other things.