Rota stepped down after inviting 98-year-old ex-soldier Yaroslav Hunka to parliament to attend a speech Friday by Ukraine’s president, and then calling the man a “hero” amid two standing ovations.

The Speaker of Canada’s House of Commons resigned on Tuesday after inviting a man who fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II to attend a special session of parliament and praising him.

Anthony Rota told lawmakers he did not know of ex-soldier Yaroslav Hunka’s Nazi ties and had made a mistake by inviting the 98-year-old to attend a session in the House honouring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last Friday. Rota publicly recognised Hunka during the event, calling him a “war hero” who fought for the First Ukrainian Division.

The incident drew global condemnation.

Observers pointed out that the First Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS “Galicia” Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit made up mostly of ethnic Ukrainians under Nazi command.

Division members are accused of killing Polish and Jewish civilians, although the unit has not been found guilty of any war crimes by a tribunal.

After first resisting cross-party calls to step down, Rota quit on Tuesday after meeting with party leaders in Ottawa.

“No one in this House is above any of us. Therefore I must step down as your speaker,” he said in parliament. “I reiterate my profound regret for my error in recognising an individual in the house during the joint address to parliament of President Zelensky.

“That public recognition has caused pain to individuals and communities, including to the Jewish community in Canada and around the world in addition to Nazi survivors in Poland among other nations. I accept full responsibility for my actions.”

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Monday that it was “extremely upsetting that this happened”. He said: “This is something that is deeply embarrassing to the parliament of Canada and by extension to all Canadians.”

Earlier Tuesday, Poland’s Education Minister Przemysław Czarnek said he had “taken steps” towards extraditing Hunka, who received two standing ovations when Rota drew attention to him during Friday’s event.

Hours before Rota announced his resignation, Canada’s foreign minister Mélanie Joly called the situation “deeply unacceptable” and an “embarrassment”, saying: “I think the Speaker should listen to members of the House and step down. I don’t think there’s any alternative.”

The Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre criticised Trudeau for the fiasco, saying the prime minister had “brought shame on Canada” after the government’s failure to have its “massive diplomatic and intelligence apparatus vet and prevent honouring a Nazi”.

Canadian Jewish organisations, who joined in the condemnation of Hunka’s invitation, welcomed Rota’s decision to step aside.