Lavrov, who caused an international furore last year with remarks about Hitler, said Washington was using the same tactic as Napoleon and the Nazis in trying to subjugate Europe in order to destroy Russia.

Using Ukraine as a proxy, he said, “they are waging war against our country with the same task: the ‘final solution’ of the Russian question”.

“Just as Hitler wanted a ‘final solution’ to the Jewish question, now, if you read western politicians … they clearly say Russia must suffer a strategic defeat.”

The ‘Final Solution’ was Hitler’s Holocaust blueprint, which led to the systematic murder of six million Jews, as well as members of other minorities.

Lavrov has caused outrage before with remarks about Hitler.

Last May he said the Nazi leader had had “Jewish blood”, drawing angry protests from Israel.