Manitoba MP facing backlash over tweet about Ukraine
A Manitoba NDP MP is being asked to apologize for a tweet she made about Ukraine.
Ottawa is providing Ukraine with $120 million in economic aid as tensions continue to mount with Russia.
Winnipeg Centre’s Leah Gazan called the move horrifying, suggesting the funds are earmarked for an anti-Semitic, neo-Nazi militia.
“As a descendent of a Holocaust survivor, the Canadian government’s 120 million dollars of funding for an anti-Semitic, neo-Nazi & fascist militia is horrifying. The rise of white supremacy and fascism is real. Time to stop the cowboy politics!” her tweet said.
Now, Gazan is facing backlash.
“I felt deeply offended and insulted. I was actually shocked by the apparent lack of knowledge," said Andriy Zayarnyuk, a historian at the University of Winnipeg.
Zayarnyuk added that Gazan got her basic facts wrong.
“The $120 million right she mentions, it’s an aid to the Ukrainian state,” Zayarnyuk said.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress released a statement calling Gazan’s comments appalling, urging the federal NDP to condemn what it described as inaccurate and hurtful remarks.
“It should be retracted and an apology should come from that individual,” said Orest Cap from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress provincial council.
Gazan’s office told CTV News Winnipeg the MP was unavailable for an interview.
In a statement to her website Gazan, explained she is alarmed that Canada may have provided training to far-right groups in Ukraine’s military in the past, citing a CTV News story from last year detailing allegations that some neo-Nazi and far-right groups bragged about training they received from Canada.
“I did not equate the situation in Ukraine to the Holocaust and I do not believe that the vast majority of Ukrainian people or its democratically elected leaders share the beliefs espoused by far-right militias,” the statement said.
“I sincerely regret that my tweet did not include this important context and may have resulted in harm.”
Scholars in the Ukrainian community said these types of sentiments about Ukraine’s military are used as bait by the Russians.
“This is a true Russian disinformation tactic used to create friction,” Cap said.
In her statement, Gazan also said she is concerned by Russia’s actions, and that Canada should use diplomatic measures to ease tensions.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.