Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations repeatedly compared Vladimir Putin with Adolf Hitler today as the UN held a rare emergency session of its General Assembly in New York.
Sergiy Kyslytsya said the Kremlin’s “spiritual mentors” were “from the Third Reich”.
He told delegates: "This war wasn't provoked, it was chosen by someone who is right now sitting in a bunker.
“We know what happened with the person who sat in a bunker in Berlin in May 1945.”
He hit out at Putin’s decision to increase the alert level for the Kremlin’s nuclear forces - and suggested the Russian President should, like the Nazi leader, commit suicide.
If he wants to kill himself he doesn't need to use (a) nuclear arsenal, he has to do what the guy in the bunker in Berlin did in May 1945,” said Mr Kyslytsya.
Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres told officials Russia ’s invasion was “totally unacceptable”, adding: “Enough is enough.
“Soldiers need to move back to their barracks and leaders need to move to peace.”
He branded the Kremlin’s nuclear threat a “chilling development", warning Putin: "Nothing can justify the use of nuclear weapons."
It was only the 11th time such a session has been held.
The UN Security Council was also meeting tonight.
Ukraine and its allies called on Monday for a United Nations inquiry into possible war crimes committed by Russia during its military actions in Ukraine.
At least 11 people were killed today in rocket strikes by Russian forces on residential districts of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city and one of the major battlegrounds since Moscow's invasion, the head of its regional administration said.
NATO partners are providing Ukraine with air-defence missiles and anti-tank weapons.
Russia faced deepening isolation and economic turmoil as Western nations, united in condemnation of its assault, hit it with an array of sanctions.
Ukraine's allies also increased weapons transfers in support. Finland agreed to ship 2,500 assault rifles and 1,500 anti-tank weapons.
The European Union is also preparing to grant Ukrainians who flee the war the right to stay and work in the 27-nation bloc for up to three years, EU officials said.
That compares to the UK’s offer only to immediate family members of Ukrainians already settled in the UK, for which around 100,000 people could be eligible.
Downing Street insisted Britain was still working on a wider offer to Ukrainians to find a safe and legal route to the UK.
