Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 22, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleGreenland PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen said no to Trump’s hospital ship, noting free public healthcare and urging direct talks. Denmark backed the stance amid fresh U.S.–Greenland tensions near Nuuk.
COPENHAGEN, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Sunday "no thanks" to U.S. President Donald Trump's idea of sending a hospital ship to Greenland, a territory that Trump has repeatedly said he wishes to take over.
Trump said on Saturday on social media he was working with Louisiana Governor and special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, 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 cooperation, also 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. late last month launched diplomatic talks 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's post on 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.
(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen, editing by Louise Rasmussen)
Greenland’s prime minister rejected President Trump’s idea to send a U.S. hospital ship to Greenland, arguing the territory has free, universal healthcare and calling for direct dialogue.
PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Greenland’s public healthcare covers citizens at no cost, making foreign medical aid unnecessary, and urged the U.S. to consult rather than post on social media.
Denmark backed Greenland’s position. Trump referenced coordination with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, his appointed envoy to Greenland, which has stirred diplomatic tension.
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