Trump Offers Hospital Ship, Greenland PM Says: No Thanks!
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has rejected an offer from United States President Donald Trump to send a hospital ship to the strategically important island he has sought to bring under American control. Nielsen affirmed that Greenland does not require medical assistance from other countries.
Trump said on Saturday (21 February) local time that he was working with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who also serves as the US Special Envoy to Greenland, to dispatch a hospital ship to the Arctic island, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.
In his response, as reported by Reuters and Anadolu Agency on Monday (23 February 2026), Nielsen openly rejected Trump’s offer.
“That will be a ‘no thanks’ from us,” Nielsen said in a statement posted on Facebook.
“President Trump’s idea of sending a US hospital ship to Greenland has been noted. But we have a public health system with free care for our citizens. This is a deliberate choice,” he said.
Nevertheless, Nielsen stated that Greenland remains open to dialogue and cooperation with the US. “Talk to us rather than just throwing out more or less random statements on social media,” he added.
Late last month, Greenland, Denmark, and the US launched diplomatic talks to resolve the crisis between the parties, following months of tension within the NATO defence alliance caused by Trump’s threats regarding the Arctic region.
Trump’s offer was made via social media approximately several hours after Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command said it had evacuated a crew member requiring emergency medical treatment from a US submarine in Greenland waters, seven nautical miles off the capital Nuuk.
“Working with the great Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we will be sending a great hospital ship to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick and not getting care there. It is on its way!!!” Trump wrote in his post.
It remains unclear whether Trump’s post was connected to the evacuation.
In recent months, Trump has shown interest in seizing control of Greenland, citing national security concerns related to Russia and China. He even threatened to impose sanctions on European nations opposing his plans.
Trump subsequently withdrew those threats after holding talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. At that time, Trump said a framework had been established for a potential deal involving Greenland and the broader Arctic region.