Greenland, Denmark Decline Trump’s Offer to Send US Hospital Ship
Greenland and Denmark have rejected an offer by US President Donald Trump to deploy a United States naval hospital ship to the Arctic island, saying the territory’s healthcare needs are already met through its public system.
Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he intended to send “a great hospital boat” to Greenland to care for residents he described as sick and underserved. He did not provide details about the scope of the mission or the number of people to be treated.
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, dismissed the proposal, stating that the autonomous territory operates a public healthcare system that provides free medical services to its citizens.
Denmark’s Defence Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, echoed that position in remarks to Danish broadcaster DR, saying Greenlanders receive necessary medical treatment either locally or, when specialised care is required, in Denmark. He added that there was no need for a special healthcare intervention.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also underscored the country’s commitment to universal healthcare, noting that access to treatment is not determined by wealth or insurance coverage.
Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, maintains five regional hospitals across the island, including a central facility in Nuuk, which serves the wider population of about 57,000 residents.
On the same day Trump floated the hospital ship idea, Danish authorities confirmed that a crew member from a US submarine operating near Nuuk was evacuated for urgent medical attention and transported to a hospital in the capital. The nature of the medical emergency was not disclosed.
Trump shared an AI-generated image of the US Navy medical vessel, USNS Mercy, alongside his message, adding that the ship was “on the way,” though it was unclear whether a formal deployment had been authorised.
The US president has repeatedly argued that the United States should control Greenland for national security reasons. His earlier threats to seize the island have since softened following a framework agreement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte aimed at increasing US influence in the Arctic region.
In Nuuk, residents appeared largely indifferent to the latest proposal, with several declining to comment publicly.
Earlier this month, Greenland signed an agreement with Copenhagen to enhance the treatment of Greenlandic patients in Danish hospitals, as Denmark’s central bank warned that demographic pressures, including an ageing population, were straining the territory’s public finances.
