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A NATO official has declared the alliance is "ready" to fight Vladimir Putin's Russia directly.

However, some military experts have urged caution and say the likelihood of World War Three is "increasing".

Rob Bauer, chairman of NATO's Military Committee, told Portuguese television channel RTP: "We nations in NATO thought for decades that we were owning the timelines. We were the ones that decided to go to Afghanistan, to go to Iraq, it was a decision from NATO, from the NATO nations.

READ MORE: Putin mouthpiece threatens West and calls for Russia to 'arm Taliban and North Korea'

"So we owned the timelines. We were saying when we are going, with how many troops, for how long, etcetera.

"Now, we are facing a threat, which is Russia, which is coming to us uninvited at a moment of their choosing. So we have to be much more ready – we have no time to prepare because it is up to them when they come."

When asked if NATO was "ready for a direct confrontation with Russia", Bauer replied simply: "We are."

Speaking to the Global Times, a Chinese-state run outlet, Chinese military experts warned the "danger of 'another World War' in Europe is increasing".

"Kiev will always pay efforts to drag its NATO allies to directly fight with Russian troops in Ukraine, as this is probably the only way for Kiev to turn around the current situation. But Washington is not stupid, so it won't be used by Kiev, but will keep using Kiev to undermine Moscow," commentator Song Zhongping said.

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Luckily, Bauer doesn't seem to think the threat of World War Three looms too large.

When asked about the possibility of nuclear war, Bauer said: "I think Vladimir Putin is not insane, that's the good news. He has ideas that are not our ideas, but he is not insane.

"So he is still a rational person and I think that is important with regard to the use of nuclear weapons.

"I think it's extremely important that we all continue to agree on the fact that a nuclear war should not be fought and can never be won."

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• Vladimir Putin
• Military
• Russia
• Ukraine
• Russia Ukraine war
• World War 3

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