US President Donald Trump’s proposal to send a Navy hospital ship to Greenland has been swiftly rejected by Greenlandic leaders, escalating tensions between Washington and the Arctic territory. The offer, made via social media, drew firm responses from officials in both Greenland and Denmark.
Greenland has no interest in Donald Trump’s hospital ship
Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he planned to deploy a U.S. hospital ship to the island. In his post, he wrote, “Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there. It’s on the way!!!”
Trump’s comments followed an emergency medical evacuation conducted by Denmark’s Arctic command. Danish authorities confirmed that a crew member from a U.S. submarine was airlifted about seven nautical miles off Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, and transported to a local hospital. A Danish Seahawk helicopter carried out the operation. However, Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen dismissed Trump’s offer outright. “It’s a no thank you from here,” he said.
Nielsen further defended Greenland’s public health system, emphasizing that care is free for citizens. “We have a public health care system where treatment is free for citizens. That is a deliberate choice — and a fundamental part of our society,” he said. “That is not how it works in the USA, where it costs money to see a doctor.” He also urged direct communication instead of social media announcements. “But please talk to us instead of just making more or less random statements on social media,” he added.
Denmark echoed Greenland’s stance. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told broadcaster DR that authorities had not been informed of any incoming U.S. ship. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen defended the country’s healthcare model, writing that she was “happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all” (via PBS).
Meanwhile, both U.S. Navy hospital ships — USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort — are currently docked at a shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, according to social media posts from the facility.
