Vladimir Putin has been branded more dangerous than both Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin by Poland's Prime Minister - who warned his ideology must be "rooted out entirely".
Mateusz Morawiecki has sounded the alarm about the Russian President, whom he pointed out has "deadlier weapons at his disposal" than the 20th century despots.
Mr Morawiecki said that "deputinisation" is needed to make the world safe again.
Writing for the Daily Telegraph, the Polish leader said: "Putin is neither Hitler nor Stalin.
"Unfortunately, he is more dangerous. If Europe does [not] stop him, Putin will march Russian forces further into Europe."
Mr Morawiecki said it is "up to us where we decide to stop ( Russia )".
He lashed out at Putin's 'Russkiy Mir" ideology - which means Russian World, placing the country at the centre of world power, with sinister echos of 20th century communism and Nazism.
Mr Morawiecki branded it "an ideology through which Russia justifies invented rights and privileges for its country".
The warning comes amid fears that Putin will continue to escalate war in Europe even if he is able to secure victory in the Donbas region.
On Monday the Russian President misleadingly told Russians that he had no choice but to launch his war in Ukraine, claiming that foreign powers were poised to invade.
Russia has suffered heavy losses since launching its invasion, with an estimated 25,000 troops killed after facing strong resistance.
It is now feared that Putin is prepared for a long war, and intends to continue his warmongering beyond Ukrainian borders.
Yesterday US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said a Russian victory in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine might not end the war.
"We assess President Putin is preparing for a prolonged conflict in Ukraine during which he still intends to achieve goals beyond the Donbas," she said.
The intelligence chief added that the United States had indications that Russia wanted to extend a landbridge to Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestria.
"Combined with the reality that Putin faces a mismatch between his ambitions and Russia's current conventional military capabilities ... the next few months could see us moving along a more unpredictable and potentially escalatory trajectory."
On Tuesday Ukraine said its forces had recaptured villages from Russian troops north and northeast of the city of Kharkiv.
Ukrainian troops in recent days recaptured four settlements north of Ukraine's second-largest city, said Tetiana Apatchenko, a press officer with the main Ukrainian force in the area.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Ukrainian successes were gradually pushing Russian forces out of Kharkiv in the country's northeast, which has been under perpetual bombardment since the war began.
