Canada's Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota announced on Tuesday that he would be resigning from his position following the scandal around the invitation and recognition of Ukrainian Nazi veteran Yaroslav Hunka.
"It's with a heavy heart that I rise to inform members of my resignation as Speaker of the House of Commons. It has been my greatest honor as a parliamentarian to have been elected by you, my peers to serve as the Speaker of the House of Commons for the 43rd and 44th parliament," Rota told the House of Commons.
On Friday, Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian Nazi veteran who fought in the ranks of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Nazi SS during the Second World War, was given a standing ovation by the entire Canadian legislature. Hunka's recognition happened as the Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, was giving introductory remarks prior to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's address to the Canadian parliament.
On Sunday, Rota apologized for his decision to invite Hunka. The office of the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, in turn, that neither the Canadian prime minister nor Zelensky's delegation were notified in advance of the invitation of Hunka.
The Speaker reiterated his regret over the invitation and recognition of Hunka, a decision that caused pain to Jewish communities, and survivors of Nazi atrocities in Poland, among other countries.
"I accept full responsibility for my actions," he added.
Rota said that his resignation would be effective as of Wednesday, to give time for the election of a new Parliament Speaker, noting that in the meantime Deputy Speakers would be assuming his functions.
Over the morning, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly, Leader of the Conservative party Pierre Poilievre, and Leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) Jagmeet Singh called for the resignation of Rota.
Poilievre however noted that Rota’s resignation would not excuse Trudeau’s failure for the shame brought to Canada.
Singh went further and asked that Trudeau apologizes to Ukraine and presents a roadmap for remedying the damage it caused to Kiev.
Commenting on the development, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on her Telegram channel that Rota was made a scapegoat to save Trudeau and his associates, “among whom, I should remind you, are descendants of collaborators from the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA),” commenting on the resignation of the Canadian Speaker of the House of Commons.
“No one apologized for the Nazi slogans ‘Glory to Ukraine’ that greeted Zelensky. I am sure that the same disgraceful future awaits all those who support the ‘Forest Brothers,’ ‘Galicia,’ torch marches, Bandera and other Nazi scum around the world,” Zakharova stressed.
“Yesterday I was asked: ‘why do fascist freaks live to be 98 years old, while their victims died so young – where is the justice?’ I won't comment on justice - it's a challenge greater than myself. However, I can guess why the collaborator lived to be 98 – so that all his sweet life of the last decades, all this put-on inspiration of his relatives and lies of the Canadian authorities were washed in their own filth. Hallelujah!” the spokeswoman stated.