Poland plans Trump-era defence spending splurge, critics say 'unrealistic'

FILE PHOTO: U.S. soldiers attend welcoming ceremony for U.S.-led NATO troops at polygon near Orzysz, Poland, April 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's new plans to nearly double defence spending and add a further 100,000 personnel to its armed forces seem, on paper, to be just what NATO allies need to counter U.S. President Donald Trump's charge that Europe does not pay enough for its security.

Partly a response to Moscow's actions in Poland's eastern neighbour Ukraine, the "Concept of Defence of the Republic of Poland" aims to enable Warsaw to resist any possible Russian aggression without having to rely so much on help from the thousands of U.S. and other NATO troops already based in Poland.