Deploying more US troops to Greenland is unrealistic, because the cost of maintaining a military presence on this island is too high, former NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller said.
US permanent troop deployments in Greenland are very costly and not suitable for the current situation," she told Politico.
Meanwhile, some NATO officials believe that allocating budget and military equipment to Greenland could be "a reasonable trade-off", helping to "prevent the alliance from falling into crisis".
There are also other NATO officials proposing that, within the framework of the Arctic Sentry mission, member states can send naval aircraft and patrol boats to Greenland, and establish a standing command here.
Greenland is the autonomous territory of Denmark. In 1951, Washington and Copenhagen signed the Greenland Defense Agreement, supplementing commitments within the framework of NATO.
According to the agreement, the US has a responsibility to protect the island from invasion risks.
Greenland is currently home to the US Pituffik Space Base, a facility that performs missile warning and control of the Arctic region, with about 150 US military personnel stationed.
On January 31, US officials announced the start of negotiations on the future ownership of Greenland and expressed hope of reaching an agreement that benefits both the US and Europe.
Washington said that many contents in the Greenland talks have been agreed upon. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized that Greenland needs to join the US.
During his first term as US president, Mr. Trump proposed buying Greenland and in March 2025, he expressed confidence that Greenland could be incorporated into the US.
