RUSSIA could attempt to invade Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia if the West allows Vladimir Putin to attack Ukraine.

Vlad has never been shy about his ambitions to attempt to return his country to the heady days of the Soviet Union.

It is feared that Ukraine may just be the first step should Putin go ahead with his invasion without significant challenge from the West.

And despite Russia insisting it's pulling its troops back from its borders, US intelligence believe the attack could come at 1am tonight UK time.

Putin may be emboldened by attacking Ukraine and seek to move on other nations in Eastern Europe.

Russia has already used "Hitler-style" land grabs, like in Crimea and Georgia, along with establishing key alliances with dictators in neighbouring states to expand his influence.

Vlad's moves have been compared those used by the Nazis in the days leading up to World War 2 – such as the annexation of Czechoslovakia.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – all former Soviet states – fear they could be next following any military action against Ukraine.

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Mikk Marran, the head of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, warned of a potential military clash – and said "various types of hybrid crises are probable".

Marran said while a full scale assault in the short term is unlikely – but an attack on Ukraine will ramp up the military pressure on the Baltic states.

"Even if Russia's leadership can be persuaded to desist from military aggression, Estonia and other western countries must prepare for increasingly sustained military pressure from Russia – direct threats of war have become an integral part of the foreign policy of Putin's Russia over the past year," Marran told Sky News.

And a recent report by Foreign Policy stated that Baltic citizens fear they are "next on the menus" for Putin.

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are all members of Nato – are should Russia attack any of them it would trigger a response from the alliance.

Each of the Baltic states has around 1,000 soldiers from Nato – which were moved in after Putin first invaded Ukraine in 2014 to seize Crimea.

They all share land borders with Russia and are close to the Russian military enclave of Kaliningrad.

And if the West loses its nerve and does not respond should Putin make moves on the three states, it could signal the a major crisis which has existed since 1949.

It’s like Hitler, you give him a finger, he’ll take a hand.

Admiral Lord West, former chief of the Royal Navy, warned that any further expansion by Putin into the Baltics could trigger World War 3.

And he warned such a conflict should Putin make a move on the Baltics would inevitably involve nuclear weapons.

"It is a very different kettle of fish [from Ukraine]", Lord West told The Sun Online.

"When you are talking about the Baltic states – you are talking about Nato, and you are talking about a World War."

He added: "I would hope Putin doesn't want a World War, and no one wants a thermonuclear armageddon, do they?"

Lord West said that Putin will be "enjoying" the current crisis as he is at the centre of the world stage – and it will be boosting his image in Russia.

But he explained that things could turn on Putin quite quickly if he finds his military bogged down in a "bloodbath" and "quagmire" after the initial invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has been attempting to expand its influence over former Soviet states for years – whether through aggression or wooing dictators.

It has already has helped prop up governments in Belarus and Kazakhstan.

The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 – something which Putin has repeatedly bemoaned as a "tragedy".

From the 50s to the 80s the US and Russia were seen as near equal world powers who were sat off the Cold War.

But since the fall of the Berlin Wall and break up of the Communist union, Russia has been desperately searching for status.

Putin has now been in part for more than 20 years – and has made it his mission to get Moscow back at the top table.

US Navy captain Gary Tabach, who used be the Nato chief of staff in Moscow, told The Sun Online that Putin dreams or reuniting the Soviet Union – including the Baltics.

The ex-sailor said Putin will be "laughing his a**" off over the current crisis as the West continues to try and figure out how to respond.

'PUTIN WILL TAKE IT ALL'

He said: "It’s like Hitler, you give him a finger, he’ll take a hand. It all depends on if you’re going to be willing and if you’re going to have the political will to stop.

"If you give him something, he’ll take it and he’ll want more".

"If you let [Putin] come to the United States, he’d invade that. Norway, North Pole, South Pole, he’ll take it all.

"These maniacs like Stalin, Hitler, Putin, Pol Pot, they’ll take everything. They want to create their own world."

Captain Tabach explained that Putin wants to bring back together what he calls the "Brotherly Nations" of Russia – including Belarus, parts of Kazakhstan and Georgia.

Tobias Ellwood MP, chair of the defence select committee, previously warned that Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia could be next if Russia takes Ukraine.

"What you have with Russia is that as soon as he [Putin] is emboldened to take on Ukraine, where will he go after that? He’ll start looking at Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia," he told GBNews.

"There’s bit of land between Kaliningrad and Belarus and if he chooses to take that space, then all the Baltic countries are then isolated from western Europe and then you can see greater expansion."

US intelligence have warned Russia is set to invade Ukraine at 1am tomorrow with a massive missile blitz and 200,000 troops.

Russian claimed today to be pulling back around 10,000 troops from its Western and Southern to barracks after military drills. 

But around 130,000 remain on Ukraine’s eastern and southern borders with around 40,000 pro-Putin forces in Belarus to the north.

“We cannot take anything that Russia says or does at face value. We have to prepare to defend ourselves," a military source said.

Senior sources said a Moscow attack would be “almost certainly from multiple points” over Ukraine’s southern, eastern and northern flanks.

It came as Britain warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine is highly likely, could be imminent, and could become the biggest threat to security in Europe since World War 2.

Putin confirmed moves to de-escalate the conflict – and vowed to press forward with negotiations.

He said: "Do we want this or not? Of course, not. That is exactly why we put forward proposals for a process of negotiations."

"Unfortunately, there has been no meaningful constructive response to our proposals," he added.

Speaking after talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Moscow, Putin said he is prepared to continue talks on missiles and other security issues with the West.

"We are ready to work further together. We are ready to go down the negotiations track," Putin told a press conference.

But following a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee, Boris Johnson suggested the intelligence he has received is "not encouraging".

He said there is a "diplomatic opening" to resolve the crisis without a war.

Speaking to reporters in Downing Street, he said: "Last night going into today clearly there are signs of a diplomatic opening."

But he warned the construction of field hospitals and the movement of extra forces closer to the border with Ukraine suggest preparations are being made for an invasion.

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