Trump Offers Hospital Ship, Greenland Refuses
Trump said on Feb. 21 a U.S. hospital ship 'is on the way' to Greenland; Denmark evacuated a U.S. submariner about 7 nautical miles off Nuuk.
Overview
President Donald Trump wrote on Feb. 21 that he was sending a 'great hospital boat' to Greenland and said the vessel 'is on the way' to treat many people he said were sick and 'not being taken care of' there.
Trump's post followed an announcement by Denmark's Joint Arctic Command that it evacuated a U.S. submarine crew member some 7 nautical miles (8 miles; 13 kilometers) off Nuuk and transferred the sailor to a hospital in the city.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said 'it's going to be a no thanks from us,' noted Greenland provides free healthcare for citizens, and asked U.S. officials to 'talk to us instead of just making more or less random outbursts on social media.'
Greenland has six hospitals serving fewer than 60,000 people, and reports said the U.S. Navy's two hospital ships were last docked in Alabama for repairs.
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Danish authorities had not been informed that a U.S. hospital ship was on its way, and Greenland said it remained open to dialogue and cooperation.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story skeptically by using evaluative verbs like 'alleging' and highlighting Trump's 'random outbursts' on social media, contextualizing them with his prior pursuit of Greenland and emphasizing Denmark/Greenland leaders' defenses of universal healthcare. The coverage privileges official rebuttals and downplays the administration's rationale.
Sources (16)
FAQ
Trump posted on Truth Social on February 21 that he was sending a hospital ship to treat many sick people in Greenland who were 'not being taken care of,' following Denmark's evacuation of a U.S. submariner near Nuuk.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen rejected the offer, stating 'it's going to be a no thanks from us,' emphasizing that Greenland provides free healthcare and urging U.S. officials to communicate directly instead of social media outbursts.
Denmark's Joint Arctic Command evacuated a U.S. submarine crew member 7 nautical miles off Nuuk using a Seahawk helicopter from an inspection ship, transferring the sailor to a hospital in Nuuk; the submarine surfaced, which is unusual for stealth operations.
Reports indicated the U.S. Navy's two hospital ships were docked in Alabama for repairs, contradicting Trump's claim that one was 'on the way' to Greenland.
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated that Danish authorities had not been informed of any U.S. hospital ship heading to Greenland.
History
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