US Sen. Lindsey Graham called on Russians to assassinate President Vladimir Putin Thursday night, as Ukraine pleaded with the West to fight the xe2x80x9cnuclear terror.xe2x80x9d

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Graham, 66, a South Carolina Republican, made the call to action on Twitter as he compared Putin to Roman dictator Julius Caesar and Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

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xe2x80x9cIs there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?xe2x80x9d Graham wrote.

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xe2x80x9cThe only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out. You would be doing your country xe2x80x93 and the world xe2x80x93 a great service.xe2x80x9d

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Putin was said to be holed up in the Ural Mountains, fuming at the resistance his army is facing in Ukraine xe2x80x94 and at home xe2x80x94 as his attack on Russiaxe2x80x99s peaceful neighbor entered its second week.

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Grahamxe2x80x99s extraordinary call for the assassination of a head of state came as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyxc2xa0called on Europe to take xe2x80x9cimmediate actionxe2x80x9d after Russian troops shelled the continentxe2x80x99s largest nuclear power plant Friday morning.

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If the Zaporizhzhia plant in the port city of Enerhodar had exploded, it would be xe2x80x9cthe end for everyone. The end for Europe. The evacuation of Europe,xe2x80x9d Zelensky said.

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A day earlier, Graham had reportedly said it was a mistake for his political ally former President Donald Trump to call Putin a xe2x80x9cgeniusxe2x80x9d for the unprovoked war.

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xe2x80x9cLetxe2x80x99s just make it clear, Putinxe2x80x99s not a genius, hexe2x80x99s a war criminal,xe2x80x9d said Graham, according to CNN.

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