Greenland, Denmark say ‘no thanks’, as Trump says he is sending hospital ship to Greenland

Denmark and its territory, Greenland, on Saturday (February 21, 2026) rejected Donald Trump’s offer to send a naval hospital ship to the Arctic island coveted by the U.S. leader. A day earlier, Mr. Trump said 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”. But Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who heads the autonomous territory’s government, wrote on his Facebook page, “That will be ‘no thanks’ from us.” “President Trump’s idea to send a U.S. hospital ship here to Greenland has been duly noted. But we have a public health system where care is free for citizens,” he said. Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen likewise told Danish broadcaster DR, “The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs. They receive it either in Greenland or, if they require specialised treatment, they receive it in Denmark.” He added, “It’s not as if there’s a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland.” On the day that Mr. Trump made his proposal, Danish forces evacuated a crew member of a U.S. submarine off the coast of Greenland’s capital Nuuk after the sailor requested urgent medical attention. Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command said in a post on Facebook the crew member was flown to a hospital in Nuuk after an unspecified medical emergency on board the vessel. AI-generated hospital ship In Greenland, as in Denmark, access to healthcare is free for citizens. There are five regional hospitals across the vast Arctic island, with the one in the capital Nuuk serving patients from all over the territory, population 57,000. Without explicitly mentioning the U.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 one receives dignified treatment.” Mr. Trump, in his Truth Social message on Saturday (February 21) about the hospital ship, posted an AI-generated image of a U.S. Navy medical vessel, USNS Mercy. “It’s on the way!!!” he added. It was not immediately clear if that meant he was deploying that ship to Greenland. The U.S. President indicated the deployment was being carried out in coordination with Jeff Landry, appointed in December as the U.S. Special Envoy to the Arctic island. Aaja Chemnitz, who represents Greenland in the Danish Parliament, wrote on Facebook that, while Greenland’s health system had its share of problems, they were best resolved through cooperation with Denmark. Denmark, she noted, “is one of the wealthiest and most educated countries, for example in the field of healthcare,” contrasting it with “the United States, which has its own healthcare system problems”. ‘New normal’ Mr. Trump has repeatedly said he believes the United States must control Greenland to ensure U.S. national security. Earlier threats he made to seize the territory, by force, if necessary, have ebbed since he struck a “framework” deal with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to ensure greater U.S. influence. The Defence Minister, Mr. Poulsen, told DR he was not aware of a possible arrival of the suggested U.S. hospital ship. “Trump is constantly tweeting about Greenland. So, this is undoubtedly an expression of the new normal that has taken hold in international politics,” he said. Published - February 22, 2026 12:32 pm IST ### Related Topics USA / Donald Trump / Greenland / unrest, conflicts and war / World