VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuania has lashed out at retailing giant Walmart for using the letters USSR as well as Soviet Union emblems on T-shirts and other products for sale in the country, and is demanding that the products be removed.

The ambassador to the United States of the former Soviet republic, where such symbols are likened to Nazi ones and are banned, says "horrific crimes were done under the Soviet symbols of a sickle and hammer."

Rolandas Krisciunas wrote Wednesday to Walmart that "the promotion of such symbols resonates with a big pain for many centuries."

The Baltic country welcomed in May a decision by German sports gear maker Adidas to remove a red tank top with the letters USSR and emblems of the Soviet Union from its online store.