OREANDA-NEWS. The European Parliament should condemn the torch march on the anniversary of Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera, which took place in Kiev on 1 January. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said this on Telegram.

"What is happening in Ukraine should be condemned by the European Parliament, PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) and OSCE PA (Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe). It is necessary to question its leadership for encouraging nationalism, to impose sanctions, and to do everything possible to prevent its revival in Europe,"- Volodin wrote.

Also, he said, those "who promote such policies or pretend not to notice them" should be brought to justice.

"Ukraine is sliding back to the tragic past against which not only the Soviet Union, but also the US and England fought. The very fact that in such a situation NATO countries supply arms to Kiev looks monstrous,"- Volodin added.

The torch procession in question took place in Kiev on 1 January. It was dedicated to the 113th anniversary of Bandera's birthday.

500-600 people took part in the action. The procession started in Shevchenko Park, then the demonstrators marched towards Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). The protesters carried lit torches and posters and chanted slogans. At the end of the procession, the participants were going to picket the office of the Ukrainian president, but the police did not allow them to approach the building.

Stepan Bandera is one of the leaders of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (banned in Russia) and one of the initiators of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA; also banned in Russia).

A total of 56 events were held in Ukraine to mark Bandera's birthday in 20 regions, with around 3,500 people attending.