Vladimir Putin has sharpened his vitriol towards the West as President Joe Biden, fresh from a visit to Kyiv, praised Western democracy for standing up to naked Russian aggression.
In a week heavy with events ahead of Friday's anniversary of Russia's Ukraine invasion, Mr Putin spoke first.
The West had enabled Nazi Germany, he claimed, and had turned Ukraine into a neo-Nazi regime that was "anti-Russia".
Hours later Mr Biden said autocrats understood only one word: "No, no, no!"
"Putin thought the world would roll over, he was wrong," he said, vowing that Nato was more united than ever. Kyiv stood strong, proud, tall and free and Western support for Ukraine would not fail, he added.
Welcoming him to Warsaw's royal castle, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that by travelling to Kyiv Mr Biden had shown the free world did not fear anything. Nato's role was to defend and support the free world and Ukraine "must win this war".
Mr Putin's speech barely touched on the progress of Russia's military in Ukraine and there was no indication of how the war might end. The main news involving Russia's military came from Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who accused the chief of staff and defence minister of trying to destroy his group and starve it of weapons.
But he also had words of support for Moldova's pro-EU president, Maia Sandu, over allegations that Russia was plotting to overthrow the current government.
President Putin on Tuesday stoked tensions in Moldova by cancelling a 2012 decree that backed Moldova's sovereignty in solving the future of a breakaway region of Moldova called Transnistria, where Russian troops are stationed.
President Biden is due to meet leaders of nine countries on Nato's eastern flank on Wednesday, and he went out of his way to reaffirm American backing for one of the alliance's key pledges.
Under its Article 5, members of Nato pledge to defend any other member that comes under attack. Mr Biden said US commitment both to the alliance and Article 5 was "rock solid".
"Every member of Nato knows it and Russia knows it as well - an attack against one is an attack against all."
Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, followed up Mr Biden's visit to Kyiv on Tuesday with her first trip to Ukraine. Visiting the towns of Bucha and Irpin, where Russian troops murdered hundreds of civilians, she said Ukrainians could count on Italy: "We have been with you since the start and we will be until the end."