U.S. President Donald Trump said he planned to send a hospital ship to Greenland, claiming that many residents were ill and lacked adequate medical care. However, both of the U.S. Navy’s hospital ships are currently undergoing maintenance at a shipyard in Alabama.
Trump’s statement drew swift responses from Danish and Greenlandic officials, who defended their health care systems. The remarks also added to ongoing tensions with the U.S. president, who has repeatedly suggested taking control of the vast Arctic territory.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen dismissed the proposal, saying, “It’s a no from us.”
Trump’s social media comments came shortly after Denmark’s military announced it had evacuated a U.S. submarine crew member off Greenland’s coast for urgent medical treatment. The Danish Joint Arctic Command reported that the sailor was transported about seven nautical miles from Nuuk to a local hospital by a Danish Seahawk helicopter launched from an inspection vessel.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that he was working with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry to send a hospital ship to care for people in Greenland, adding that the vessel was already on its way.
Nielsen said the assistance was unnecessary, emphasizing that Greenland offers publicly funded health care to all citizens. He contrasted this with the U.S. system, where medical visits often involve costs, and expressed frustration with Trump’s approach, urging him to communicate directly rather than making spontaneous social media statements.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Danish authorities had not received any notification about a U.S. ship heading to Greenland. The Pentagon directed inquiries about the hospital ships USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort to the White House, which did not provide immediate clarification. Shipyard posts confirmed both vessels are currently docked in Mobile, Alabama, and the Navy also deferred questions to the White House.
Relations between Denmark and the United States, traditionally strong since World War II, have recently deteriorated amid Trump’s comments about acquiring the resource-rich and strategically important island.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen defended Denmark’s health care model, saying she was proud to live in a country where everyone has equal access to medical services regardless of wealth or insurance status, noting that Greenland follows the same principle.
Greenlandic lawmaker Aaja Chemnitz criticized Trump’s proposal, calling it unhelpful and questioning the condition of the hospital ship. She added that the move did not address the long-term improvements needed in Greenland’s health care system, describing the situation as another bizarre news headline.
