‘Vladimir Putin despises Nato!’ Defence expert on fears Russia could ‘escalate’ conflict with the West

Russia’s elections come as Western intelligence officials have warned the Kremlin is preparing to intensify the conflict and step up hybrid attacks targeting Kyiv's allies across Europe.

Mr Bell told GB News: “The harsh reality of life at the moment is that there is a very significant threat.”

The defence expert explained that military chiefs across Nato now face “difficult decisions” about their respective nation’s armed forces.

He explained that the alliance was “one of the things that Putin always hated”.

“Putin despised Nato and wanted to try and break it up,” Mr Bell explained.

However, the defence expert did offer some more positive analysis, stressing that Nato is “stronger than ever” from a military perspective.

“Politicians come and go, but the military endures.”

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