Denmark has firmly brushed aside a surprising proposal from the United States to send a hospital ship to Greenland, with officials saying the Arctic territory’s own healthcare system is fully capable of meeting residents’ needs.
On Sunday, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen made it clear his government had neither been consulted nor seen evidence that an American medical vessel was en route. Speaking to public broadcaster DR, he stressed that Greenlanders already have robust access to care. “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,” Poulsen said. “So it’s not as if there’s a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland.”
The comments followed a social media post by former U.S. President Donald Trump, claiming that a “great hospital boat” was being sent to tend to “many people… who are sick, and not being taken care of there.” Trump added, “It’s on the way!!!”, a remark that caught Danish officials off guard, as they had no indication such a deployment was planned.
Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, already offers publicly funded healthcare, with regional facilities across the island and pathways to specialised care in mainland Denmark. The swift rejection comes amid broader diplomatic tensions, as U.S., Greenland relations remain sensitive and closely watched by European allies.
Poulsen noted the unusual nature of the unfolding saga, adding wryly that repeated statements about Greenland from abroad had become “an expression of the new normal that has taken hold in international politics.”
