Greenland’s prime minister on Sunday declined U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to send an American hospital ship to the autonomous Danish territory, saying the island’s publicly funded healthcare system already provides free treatment to its citizens.
The response came a day after Mr. Trump announced on social media that he was working with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, whom he appointed as special envoy to Greenland, to dispatch a hospital vessel to the Arctic island.
In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote that President Trump's idea of sending an American hospital ship had been noted but emphasized that Greenland maintains a public healthcare system where care is free for citizens.
“That will be ‘no thanks’ from us,” Mr. Nielsen said.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly stated that the United States should acquire Greenland for national security reasons, prompting months of tension within the NATO alliance.
Late last month, Greenland, Denmark and the United States launched diplomatic talks aimed at resolving the crisis between the parties.
The president’s hospital ship proposal followed a U.S. evacuation of a crew member requiring urgent medical treatment from a submarine in Greenlandic waters, near the capital, Nuuk, though it was unclear whether the two events were connected.
In his social media post, Mr. Trump wrote that the vessel would assist “the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there.”
Greenlandic and Danish officials rejected that characterization, underscoring that healthcare in both Greenland and Denmark is free at the point of use and funded by taxpayers.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was “happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all,” adding that Greenland shares the same approach.
Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen also dismissed suggestions of unmet medical needs, saying Greenlanders receive necessary care either locally or in Denmark if specialized treatment is required.
Greenland, which has a population of fewer than 60,000 people and six hospitals, signed an agreement with Copenhagen earlier this month to improve access to treatment in Danish hospitals.