Before last week's decision to halt a planned rotational deployment of one armoured brigade combat team, around 10,000 US troops were stationed in Poland.
Adding Trump's promised 5,000 would bring that total to 15,000.
But if the 4,000 already halted are factored in, the real figure would be closer to 11,000.
The Pentagon, when asked directly by Polish Radio, declined to answer and referred the question to the White House.
The White House has not responded.
Most American media and politicians interpret Trump's announcement not as a net increase, but as a reversal of the earlier reduction – in effect, replacing troops rather than adding new ones.
Trump framed the move as sending "additional" forces to Poland.
Polish Radio describes him as a leader known for his loose use of figures and his reluctance to acknowledge mistakes.
The report suggests this allowed him to present himself as a firm ally of Poland while drawing little attention to the decision that had previously cast doubt on that alliance.
Trump's announcement appeared to reverse earlier reports that the Pentagon had paused the planned rotation of an armoured brigade into Poland and cancelled plans to send some 4,000 troops there as part of a broader reduction of the US military presence in Europe.
Polish officials welcomed the news, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk calling it "good news for Poland and the US" and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz saying the country was "gaining from this redeployment".
(ał)
Source: IAR