Russia's Lavrov compares Europe to Nazi Germany

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday compared Europe's tactics to those of Nazi Germany, slamming historic sanctions against Moscow and saying the term "total war" has been borrowed from Hitler's playbook.

"They have declared a true hybrid war, a total war against us," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a meeting in Moscow.

"This term -- used by Nazi Germany -- is now used by many European politicians when they say what they want to do with Russia."


He said European officials were making no secret of their goals -- to "destroy, break, annihilate and suffocate the economy and Russia as a whole."

Since President Vladimir Putin sent troops to pro-Western Ukraine on February 24, the West has pummeled Moscow with unprecedented measures, making Russia the most sanctioned country in the world.

Moscow has said it aims to "de-militarise" and "denazify" Ukraine.

The Soviet Union's role in defeating Hitler's Germany in 1945 remains a huge point of pride in Russia and lies at the centre of Putin's patriotic discourse.

Putin has denounced the West's economic "blitzkrieg" and compared the sanctions to "anti-Semitic pogroms carried out by Nazis".

He has also accused the West of working to weaken Russia with the help of "national traitors".