The Speaker of Canada's House of Commons has resigned after inviting a Ukrainian man who fought for a Nazi unit to parliament and praising him.

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

"I must step down as your Speaker," he said in parliament. "I reiterate my profound regret."

The incident last Friday drew global condemnation.

Yaroslav Hunka, 98, got a standing ovation after Mr Rota called him a "hero" during a Friday visit by Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky.

Mr Rota has said he did not know of Mr Hunka's Nazi ties and made a mistake in inviting him to attend the event.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday it was "extremely upsetting that this happened".

During World War Two, Mr Hunka served in the 14th Waffen-SS Grenadier 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.