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The prime minister of Greenland, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said “no thanks” on Sunday to U.S. President Donald Trump’s idea of sending a hospital ship to Greenland, a territory that he has repeatedly said he wants to take over.
Trump said on social media on Saturday that he was working with Jeff Landry, the governor of Louisiana and special envoy to Greenland, to send a hospital boat to Greenland.
“President Trump’s idea of sending an American hospital ship here to Greenland has been noted. But we have a public healthcare system where treatment is free for citizens. It is a deliberate choice,” Nielsen said in a post on Facebook.
Nielsen said Greenland remained open to dialogue and co-operation, including with the U.S. “But talk to us instead of just making more or less random outbursts on social media,” he said.
Greenland, Denmark and the U.S. launched diplomatic talks late last month to resolve the crisis between the parties, following months of tension within the NATO defence alliance over Trump’s threats against the Arctic territory.
Trump shares plans to send hospital ship
Trump’s post about sending the ship came hours after Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command said it had evacuated a crew member who required urgent medical treatment from a U.S. submarine in Greenlandic waters, seven nautical miles outside of Greenland’s capital, Nuuk. It was unclear if the post had any connection to the evacuation.
Trump announced the plan on social media moments before hosting a dinner for Republican governors at the White House, where he sat next to and chatted with Landry.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has long been fascinated with owning and controlling Greenland, spanning from his interest in buying the country in 2019, to his recent refusal to rule out taking it by military force. Andrew Chang explores four potential reasons why Trump calls ownership of Greenland ‘an absolute necessity.’
Images provided by Getty Images, Reuters and The Canadian Press.
“Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there. It’s on the way!!!” he said.
Landry was appointed by Trump as a special envoy to Greenland last year.
The U.S. navy has two hospital ships, the Mercy and the Comfort, but neither are stationed in Louisiana.
Neither the White House nor Landry’s office responded to queries about the post, whether the ship had been requested by Denmark or Greenland and which sick people needed help. The Department of Defence had no immediate comment.
Danish King Frederik paid a second visit to Greenland in a year earlier this week, an attempt to demonstrate unity with the territory in the face of Trump’s push to buy the island.
Greenland, Denmark and the U.S. held talks late last month to resolve the situation following months of tensions within the NATO defence alliance.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen defended Denmark’s health-care system on Sunday, writing on Facebook that she was “happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all. Where it’s not insurances and wealth that determine whether you get proper treatment.”
“You have the same approach in Greenland,” Frederiksen said, before adding: “Happy Sunday to you all” in front of a blushing, smiling emoji.