Greenland and Denmark gratefully rejects Trump’s hospital ship offer
Greenland PM says public healthcare is free, Denmark says no special initiative needed
Denmark and its autonomous territory, Greenland, on Sunday firmly rejected US President Donald Trump’s proposal to send a naval hospital ship to the Arctic island.
Trump had announced a day earlier that he was sending “a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there.” However, Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen posted on Facebook, “That will be ‘no thanks’ from us.” He emphasized that Greenland has a public health system where care is free for citizens, unlike in the United States where medical treatment can be costly.
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told broadcaster DR that Greenland’s population receives the healthcare it needs, either locally or, if specialized treatment is required, in Denmark. He added that there is no need for any special healthcare initiative in Greenland.
On the same day as Trump’s proposal, Danish forces evacuated a US submarine crew member off the coast of Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, after the sailor requested urgent medical attention. Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command confirmed that the crew member was flown to a hospital in Nuuk following an unspecified medical emergency.
Healthcare in Greenland, as in Denmark, is free for citizens. The Arctic island has five regional hospitals, with the one in Nuuk serving patients from across the territory.
Without directly referencing Trump’s proposal, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was “happy to live in a country where access to healthcare is free and equal for all, and where insurance or wealth does not determine whether one receives dignified treatment.”
Trump shared an AI-generated image of the US Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy on his Truth Social platform, stating, “It’s on the way!!!” It was unclear whether the ship was actually being deployed to Greenland. The US president indicated that the move was coordinated with Jeff Landry, the US Special Envoy to Greenland.
Aaja Chemnitz, who represents Greenland in the Danish Parliament, said Greenland’s health system has challenges, but they are best addressed in cooperation with Denmark. She noted Denmark’s advanced healthcare system in contrast with the United States, which faces its own healthcare issues. Greenland recently signed an agreement with Copenhagen to improve treatment for its patients in Danish hospitals.
Trump has repeatedly said that controlling Greenland is necessary for US national security. Earlier threats to seize the territory by force have eased after a “framework” agreement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to secure greater US influence.
Defence Minister Lund Poulsen said he was unaware of any imminent arrival of the proposed US hospital ship and described Trump’s repeated comments about Greenland as part of the “new normal” in international politics.
Meanwhile, in Nuuk, home to roughly a third of Greenland’s 57,000 residents, locals appear weary of the US president’s repeated attention. “I don’t care,” one man said under light snowfall, while most avoided answering journalists’ questions.
