Ekaterina Lakhova, an MP and head of the Union of Women of Russia, said the ice cream was “indirect propaganda” and comparable to the swastika, RIA reports.

The ice cream “makes our children get used to that flag”, she said, referring to the rainbow flag used as an LGBT+ symbol.

She made the comments at a meeting attended by President Vladimir Putin, who said he wanted to increase controls on “propaganda” more slowly.

The manufacturer of the Rainbow ice cream insisted that it has no political or social meaning.

Meanwhile, Russian social media users jokingly suggested that the government could ban rainbows as a phenomenon from Russian skies.