Canada's parliament and government owe an apology to all Russians for honoring a Ukrainian Nazi tied to a division involved in war crimes, Moscow's Ambassador to Ottawa Oleg Stepanov said in a statement.
"I believe that in a multicultural society of Canada, the Parliament and the Government of this country owe a formal and unequivocal apology to all Russians and the Russian Canadian community," Stepanov said on Tuesday.
Stepanov said "it is a proven fact" that the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS "Galicia" committed multiple war crimes, including mass murder against the Russian people.
"An intention to ignore and to exclude from the memory the genocide against Russians committed by the Waffen SS, including the 'Galicia' division, is unacceptable. Therefore, I am waiting for the reaction of the Canadian authorities," Stepanov said.
Earlier, Stepanov told Sputnik Russia sent a protest note complete with letters to the Canadian leadership for inviting and honoring Hunka in parliament, however, it has not yet received a response.
Last Friday, Yaroslav 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.
Rota on Tuesday announced that he would be resigning from his position over the scandal and said he accepts "full responsibility" for his actions. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the incident is "deeply embarrassing" for Canada and the House of Commons.