LONDON – Russian officials have branded as “outrageous” comments Prince Charles reportedly made in Canada comparing Russian President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler.

The Russian Embassy in London on Thursday said the Russian government wants official clarification about comments attributed to Charles during the Halifax leg of his royal visit to Canada.

Britain’s Daily Mail reported Wednesday that Charles compared Putin to the Nazi leader in what he thought was a private conversation with a volunteer worker at the Museum of Immigration in Halifax.

The newspaper reported the heir to the throne told a woman who lost relatives after Germany’s invasion of Poland that Putin was “doing just about the same as Hitler.” Russia recently annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region.

Charles’s representatives have not confirmed the comments. Russian officials say a senior minister at the embassy in London will meet with Foreign Office officials later Thursday to discuss the issue.

Charles and his wife, Camilla, left Winnipeg on Wednesday to head home after a four-day visit to Canada. Charles said they would cherish their memories of the visit.

Charles’s comments also drew some criticism from British politicians who say the Royal Family should avoid making political statements.

–With files from The Canadian Press