MOSCOW, September 27. /TASS/. Russia strongly condemns the fact that Canada has paid homage to Nazi henchman Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian emigre who fought during World War II in a Ukrainian volunteer division of the Waffen SS, the armed wing of the German Nazi Party, and urges the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to give a proper assessment to this Nazi sympathizing, Konstantin Gavrilov, head of the Russian delegation to the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control, said.

"We vehemently condemn the recent event and urge international organizations, including the UN and OSCE, to give an honest assessment of the attempts to pay homage to and exonerate fascism, aggressive nationalism, chauvinism, anti-Semitism and militarism which go hand in hand with them, which run counter to the OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security, which was approved at the highest level," the diplomat said at a regular plenary meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation.

Gavrilov’s speech was posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry website.

Last week, the Associated Press news agency published photos showing that as Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky was addressing the Canadian parliament on September 22, the audience cheered Hunka, who during World War II fought in the 1st Ukrainian Division, also known as the SS Galician Division. The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that Moscow would not "tolerate the Canadian liberals’ flirtation with Nazism," adding that the special ceremony honoring Hunka "characterizes the ruling regime of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau perfectly."

On Tuesday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly demanded that Speaker of the House of Commons of the Canadian Parliament, Anthony Rota, resign over the scandal with the Nazi veteran. She described the situation as "deeply unacceptable" and as an "embarrassment." Later, Rota announced his resignation from the post.