President Donald Trump announced he’s sending a “great hospital boat” to Greenland to care for the sick, despite Greenland already having a free, fully functioning healthcare system. On Truth Social, he insisted the ship is “on the way” to help the “many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there.”
The announcement didn’t land well in Greenland.
Prime Minister Jens‑Frederik Nielsen shot it down fast: “It’s going to be a no thank you from here.” He reminded the world that Greenland already has free healthcare and doesn’t need a U.S. hospital ship. Nielsen added a pointed jab: Washington should communicate like adults, not through random social media outbursts.
President Trump made the post below this AM. Here’s Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen’s response:
“It’s a no thank you from here. President Trump’s idea of sending an American hospital ship here to Greenland has been noted. But we have a public healthcare system… pic.twitter.com/970xtOnHUq
— Carla Babb (@CarlaBNewsmax) February 22, 2026
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Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen agreed. She praised free health care for everyone and said, “It is not insurance and wealth that determine whether you get proper treatment.” She added that Greenland follows the same rule.
Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen made it even clearer: the hospital ship isn’t needed, and no one even knows if it’s coming.
“The Greenlandic population receives the health care it needs. They receive it either in Greenland, or, if they require specialized treatment, they receive it in Denmark. So it’s not as if there’s a need for a special health care initiative in Greenland,” he said. He added, “Trump is constantly tweeting about Greenland. So this is undoubtedly an expression of the new normal that has taken hold in international politics.”
This whole idea comes after a U.S. submarine crew member needed urgent medical care near Nuuk. The Danish Joint Arctic Command evacuated him, and he’s being treated in Greenland’s hospital system. Everyone is fine. No hospital boat required.
Greenland has five regional hospitals. The main one in Nuuk treats patients from across the territory. Free health care works. That’s the point Trump seems to miss.
Earlier this week, King Frederik X of Denmark visited Greenland for the second time this year to show support for the territory. Greenlanders and Danes rely on their public health system, and they don’t need a hospital ship from the U.S.
Featured image via X screengrab
