Russia calls for more action after SS monument removal in Canada
It should be noted that many reports from Russian media or government officials can be propaganda, forming part of the informational warfare waged by Russia.
9:12 AM EST, March 9, 2024
In its announcement, the ministry cited information from The Forward, a portal focused on Jewish affairs, which shared news about the dismantling of a monument dedicated to the Ukrainian 14th Waffen SS Grenadier Division from a cemetery in Oakville, near Toronto.
This monument, established in 1988, featured the insignia of the SS-Galizien and SS-Galicia units, which includes a lion and crown, as reported by The Forward.
Reportedly, the monument's removal was influenced by the Jewish community in Canada, following a controversy that emerged last year during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the Canadian parliament. In this incident, 98-year-old Ukrainian-Canadian veteran Jaroslav Hunka received applause, and it was later revealed that he had served with the German SS-Galizien unit during World War II.
Subsequently, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued an apology, and Anthony Rota, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, stepped down.
"The removal of the SS monument in Canada is the initial step in doing away with the remnants of Ukrainian Nazis in this nation," the Russian Foreign Ministry declared through a statement on Telegram.
Moreover, the ministry urged the Canadian government to not limit its actions to this single monument.
"The most convincing evidence of Ottawa's commitment to thoroughly distancing itself from the Nazi past of Ukraine would be the dismantling of other monuments commemorating Nazi collaborators, including those of the OUN-UPA," the statement from the ministry, led by Sergey Lavrov, highlighted.
However, the statement did not specify the locations of any other such monuments within Canada.
Source: The Forward, Russian Foreign Ministry
