Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota resigned on Tuesday following an outcry over his invitation of a World War II veteran, Yaroslav Hunka, to attend a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was later revealed that Hunka had fought for the Nazi military unit known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, causing outrage from members of the public and the Canadian government. Rota apologized for his “lapse in judgment” and resigned to “protect the dignity of the House of Commons”, sparking a debate in Canada over the proper way to recognize veterans of World War II and the need to ensure that those with Nazi ties are not honored.
