COPENHAGEN: Denmark and its autonomous territory of Greenland on Sunday dismissed US President Donald Trump’s offer to dispatch a naval hospital ship to the Arctic island, which he has repeatedly said is strategically vital to the United States.
A day earlier, Trump announced 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.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen swiftly rejected the proposal. In a Facebook post, he wrote: “That will be ‘no thanks’ from us.”
“President Trump’s idea to send a US hospital ship here to Greenland has been duly noted. But we have a public health system where care is free for citizens,” he said, adding pointedly: “This is not the case in the United States, where going to the doctor costs money.”
Denmark’s Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen echoed that stance in remarks to Danish broadcaster DR. “The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs — either in Greenland or, if specialised treatment is required, in Denmark,” he said. “There is no need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland.”
Trump’s offer came the same day Danish forces evacuated a crew member from a US submarine off the coast of Nuuk after the sailor requested urgent medical assistance. Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command said the individual was airlifted to a hospital in Nuuk following an unspecified onboard emergency.
Healthcare in Greenland, as in Denmark, is publicly funded and free at the point of use. The vast Arctic island operates five regional hospitals, with the main facility 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 — where insurance or wealth does not determine whether someone receives dignified treatment.”
In his Truth Social post, Trump shared an AI-generated image of the US Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy, adding: “It’s on the way!!!” It was unclear whether he intended to deploy that specific vessel to Greenland.
The US president said the move was being coordinated with Jeff Landry, whom he appointed in December as US Special Envoy to Greenland.
Aaja Chemnitz, Greenland’s representative in the Danish Parliament, acknowledged that the island’s healthcare system faces challenges but said these should be addressed in cooperation with Copenhagen. She noted that Denmark is among the world’s wealthiest and most advanced countries in healthcare, contrasting it with what she described as persistent systemic issues in the United States.
Earlier this month, Greenland signed an agreement with Denmark aimed at improving treatment for Greenlandic patients in Danish hospitals. Denmark’s central bank has warned that Greenland’s public finances are under strain due to demographic pressures, including an ageing population and shrinking workforce.
Trump has repeatedly argued that US control over Greenland is necessary for national security. Although earlier remarks about potentially seizing the territory — even by force — have softened following a “framework” understanding with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to increase US influence, his comments continue to stir unease.
Defence Minister Lund Poulsen told DR he was unaware of any imminent arrival of a US hospital ship. “Trump is constantly tweeting about Greenland. This is part of the new normal in international politics,” he said.
In Nuuk, where about a third of Greenland’s 57,000 residents live, reactions appeared muted. Under light snowfall, one resident told AFP he did not care about Trump’s latest remarks, while many others declined to comment.
