European Leaders Warn of Russian Threat as UK Government Faces Defence Criticism Donald Tusk and Emmanuel Macron have warned of escalating Russian activity, while British critics accuse Andy Burnham's Government of underestimating the threat and delaying sufficient military investment. European leaders have warned of an escalating Russian threat as the Government faced criticism for appearing insufficiently urgent about the danger. The controversy centred on Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who was seen meeting Irish counterpart Micheal Martin at Number 10 North in Manchester on Friday. Videos of the visit were shared on social media, but senior defence figures and opposition politicians suggested that Mr Burnham seemed unconcerned despite growing alarm across Europe. One critic described him as blasé in the face of reports that Vladimir Putin may be preparing further attacks against European nations. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the Kremlin was preparing missile strikes on Europe and targeting Nato states.French President Emmanuel Macron said Russian activity was intensifying and ordered stronger protection for France's critical infrastructure. He also warned that Moscow was attempting to intimidate Ukraine's allies and urged governments to secure sites connected with weapons production. Officials believe Russia may be waiting until after this weekend's elections before beginning a covert mobilisation that could involve as many as 300,000 troops being deployed to Ukraine or near Nato borders.Concerns have also been heightened by reports that the United States is considering removing at least 25,000 soldiers from Europe. That would represent more than a quarter of its approximately 80,000-strong presence on the continent and could leave European governments expecting to assume greater responsibility for regional defence. The possibility has added weight to calls for Britain and other European countries to increase military spending and strengthen their armed forces.Russia has carried out a series of hybrid attacks across Europe in recent months, including drones fitted with explosives. Poland and Lithuania were attacked this week, while Germany and other Baltic states have also been targeted by Russian operations. Several countries have responded by increasing defence budgets and expanding assistance to Ukraine. British defence officials, however, maintained that Putin's overall strategy had not changed and that there was no evidence he was deliberately seeking a wider conflict.They said British intelligence assessments were consistent with those held by other allies. Critics argued that the Government was failing to communicate the seriousness of the threat or prepare adequately for possible escalation. Former defence secretary Ben Wallace said national and economic security had to take priority over short-term political measures and accused Mr Burnham of treating leadership as though it depended mainly on public benefits and social media appearances.Former army intelligence officer Philip Ingram went further, warning that weak military readiness could increase the risk of Russia attacking Nato and pulling Britain into a European war. He argued that promising major improvements by 2035 would be too late if conflict began in the meantime. Current projections suggest that the UK may not reach its stated defence-spending ambition of 3.5 per cent until 2035.The Daily Mail's Don't Leave Britain Defenceless campaign has repeatedly urged successive governments to provide more funding for the military. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the urgency shown by Mr Tusk and Mr Macron made reports of Russian violations of Lithuanian airspace especially worrying. She questioned whether Mr Burnham's Government understood the scale of the threat. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said Russia should have no doubt about Britain's determination to oppose aggression against Ukraine, the UK and its allies.The department said it had overseen the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, including £750 million for counter-drone systems and protection for service personnel at home and overseas. Supporters of the Government argued that these investments represented a substantial response, although opponents said the pace of preparation remained inadequate given the warnings from European allies