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Greenland rejects Trump hospital ship, criticizes US healthcare
"It’s going to be a no thank you from here," Jens‑Frederik Nielsen said in a pointed statement on Facebook Sunday.
www.newsweek.com
Greenland’s prime minister has publicly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion to send a U.S. hospital ship to the island, saying the semi-autonomous Danish territory already provides free healthcare to its citizens and does not need outside medical assistance.
"It’s going to be a no thank you from here," Jens‑Frederik Nielsen said in a pointed statement on Facebook Sunday.
The response came after Trump said late on Saturday in a Truth Social post he was dispatching an American hospital ship to Greenland, without providing further details. Nielsen said Greenland’s publicly funded health system is “a deliberate choice” and contrasted it with the U.S. model "where it costs money to go to the doctor," while also urging Washington to engage in respectful dialogue rather than announcing initiatives unilaterally.
"We are always open to dialogue and collaboration," the prime minister wrote. "Also with the U.S. But talk to us now instead of just coming up with more or less random outbursts on social media."
Greenland's prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen takes part in a traditional kaffemik at Katuaq, The kaffemik is open to the public and provides the k...Read More | Christian Klindt Sølbeck/Getty Images
Trump’s comments were consistent with his longstanding interest in Greenland, which has strategic importance for the U.S. due to its location in the Arctic and its proximity to key shipping routes and U.S. military installations. The island hosts a major U.S. Air Force base, and Trump has repeatedly suggested the U.S. should play a greater role there, including previously floating the idea of acquiring Greenland outright.
Greenland is a self‑governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with control over most domestic affairs, including healthcare, while Denmark handles defense and foreign policy.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a post to social media earlier on Sunday she was "happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to healthcare for everyone." The Danish leader did not explicitly reference Trump's comments but said it is "not insurance and wealth that determine whether you get proper treatment" in Denmark.
"The same approach is followed in Greenland," Frederiksen added.
The Danish military said on Saturday a crew member aboard a U.S. submarine near the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, was evacuated to a hospital in the city for urgent medical treatment.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.