Russia is concerned over the stance of the United States and the European Union on a UN resolution condemning the glorification of Nazism and the desecration of WWII monuments, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

The UN General Assembly adopted on December 18, 2009 a draft resolution proposed by Russia on combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

The resolution is aimed at condemning attempts to heroize the Nazi movement and former Waffen SS members and desecrate monuments to the fighters against Nazism.

"It is highly bewildering and regrettable that the United States voted against the resolution, supported by an overwhelming majority of UN member states, and a number of states, including all European Union members, abstained in the vote on the draft," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said it was surprised by the position of the former Soviet republics of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova which abstained from the vote, even though their peoples fought against Nazis during World War Two.

"We believe this is disrespect for the heroism of those who glorified these countries by their heroic deeds in the struggle against Nazism," the statement said.

On Saturday, the Georgian authorities demolished a memorial to WWII heroes in the country's second largest city, Kutaisi. The blast, which was used to demolish the monument, killed two people.

Russia has condemned the Georgian war memorial demolition blast as an act of barbarism and state vandalism.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the Georgian authorities "have committed an act of state vandalism, offending the feelings of any civilized person."

MOSCOW, December 20 (RIA Novosti)