On Saturday, 22 February 2026, Greenland’s government politely declined an offer from US President Donald Trump to send a hospital ship to the Arctic territory. Trump posted on Truth Social that a vessel — illustrated with an image of the USNS Mercy — was “on the way” to help Greenlanders he said were not receiving adequate care. Greenlandic prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish leaders pushed back, noting Greenland and Denmark provide free, publicly funded healthcare and that specialist care is available through Danish hospitals. The exchange intensified an already fraught diplomatic moment between Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk over US interest in the strategically important island.
Key takeaways
- President Trump announced on Truth Social on 22 February 2026 that he would dispatch a US hospital ship, posting an image of the USNS Mercy and saying “It’s on the way!!!”.
- Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, rejected the offer on Facebook, saying “no thanks” and stressing the territory’s public health system provides free care for citizens.
- Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, defended the Danish model of free, equal access to healthcare and said Greenland follows the same approach.
- Danish defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Danish authorities confirmed Greenlanders receive needed care either locally or in Denmark; Greenland has six hospitals for fewer than 60,000 residents.
- Earlier on Saturday Danish forces said they evacuated a US submarine crew member about 7 nautical miles off Nuuk and transferred the sailor to a Nuuk hospital.
- In December, Mr Trump named Louisiana governor Jeff Landry as a US special envoy for Greenland; in January the US struck a so-called “framework” agreement with NATO’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, to secure greater US influence.
- King Frederik of Denmark visited Greenland twice in 12 months to demonstrate Copenhagen’s unity with the territory amid US overtures.
Background
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark with a small population and significant strategic and mineral value. The island’s sparse population — fewer than 60,000 people — is served by a handful of hospitals and a health system that, like Denmark’s, is funded by taxpayers and free at the point of use. In recent months, the island has become a focus of heightened geopolitical interest as the United States seeks to bolster influence in the Arctic region amid competition from other powers.
President Trump has repeatedly signalled interest in gaining stronger control over Greenland, framing the island as important to US national security. His administration’s gestures — including appointing Jeff Landry as a special envoy in December — have strained relations with Denmark and raised alarms in Nuuk about sovereignty and external pressure. Copenhagen and Greenlandic leaders have reacted publicly and diplomatically to defend the existing constitutional arrangement and the territory’s autonomy.
Main event
On 22 February 2026 Mr Trump used his Truth Social account to say a US hospital ship would be sent to Greenland to tend to people he described as “not being taken care of there.” He attached an image of the USNS Mercy to the post and credited the idea to coordination with Jeff Landry, the Louisiana governor he named to lead US outreach on Greenland. The tone and format — a social media announcement rather than an official Pentagon release — immediately shaped how Copenhagen and Nuuk responded.
Greenlandic prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen replied on Facebook that the territory did not need the offer and had a public health system that provides free care to citizens. Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen echoed that position, stressing Denmark’s commitment to universal access to healthcare and noting Greenland follows the same model. Denmark’s defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen told broadcaster DR that Greenlanders receive necessary care either locally or in Denmark, including specialist treatment.
The Danish Joint Arctic Command separately reported an unrelated but contemporaneous medical evacuation: a crew member from a US submarine was retrieved by helicopter about 7 nautical miles off Nuuk and taken to a Nuuk hospital after requesting urgent care. That incident illustrated routine medical cooperation and emergency response in Greenlandic waters and underlined existing channels for critical care.
Analysis & Implications
The public exchange highlights how humanitarian offers can be read through geopolitical lenses. A hospital ship can deliver medical care but, when presented by a US president who has publicly argued for greater US control of Greenland, the gesture is likely to be interpreted as a means of influence rather than purely charity. For Copenhagen and Nuuk, the sequence of posts and responses reaffirms sensitivities about sovereignty and external pressure.
Diplomatically, the episode risks further fraying US-Danish ties at a time when NATO cohesion is a priority. Danish leaders framed the debate around publicly funded healthcare and national sovereignty, while US officials have pursued both strategic access and symbolic steps to increase American presence. A visible medical asset operating in Greenlandic waters would require explicit consent and coordination with Danish and Greenlandic authorities to avoid constitutional and operational conflicts.
Politically at home, the move fits with President Trump’s pattern of high-profile, media-driven initiatives that appeal to supporters and draw international attention. For Greenland, the controversy could strengthen arguments for deeper formal ties with Denmark and renewed emphasis on local governance, while also drawing international scrutiny to the island’s infrastructure and health capacity.
Comparison & data
| Metric | Greenland | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Fewer than 60,000 | Denmark: national population (varies by region) |
| Hospitals | Six hospitals in Greenland | Nationwide hospital network funded publicly |
| Access to care | Free at point of use (tax-funded) | Free at point of use (tax-funded) |
The table highlights that Greenland’s health system is structured on the same universal-access principle as Denmark’s, though scale and specialist capacity differ. An agreement signed in early February 2026 aims to improve Greenlandic patients’ access to Danish hospitals for specialised care, reinforcing existing referral pathways.
Reactions & quotes
Officials and commentators framed the exchange in constitutional and practical terms, underscoring routine health coverage in Greenland and the political context behind the offer.
That will be ‘no thanks’ from us.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Greenlandic prime minister
Nielsen’s Facebook response succinctly rejected an unsolicited offer and reasserted Greenlandic self-reliance and the territory’s public healthcare system.
We are happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all.
Mette Frederiksen, Danish prime minister
Frederiksen used her Facebook post to defend Denmark’s system and note Greenland follows the same approach, tying health policy to broader arguments about equality and national policy.
The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs. They receive it either in Greenland, or, if they require specialised treatment, they receive it in Denmark.
Troels Lund Poulsen, Danish defence minister
Lund Poulsen offered a practical reassurance about medical coverage and the existing pathway for specialised care, framing the US proposal as unnecessary.
Unconfirmed
- No public confirmation from the US Department of Defense or the Pentagon that an official order to deploy the hospital ship had been issued at the time of the announcement.
- No independent evidence that the USNS Mercy was underway to Greenland immediately after the president’s Truth Social post; the claim was primarily a social media announcement.
- The long-term diplomatic intent behind the public offer — whether strictly humanitarian or part of a broader effort to increase US presence — remains a matter of interpretation among analysts.
Bottom line
The episode is less about immediate medical need than it is about messaging and sovereignty. Greenland and Denmark have publicly funded systems that provide care locally and through referrals to Denmark; officials in both jurisdictions framed the US post as unnecessary and, by implication, intrusive. For Washington, the offer served to spotlight US interest in Greenland — a strategic and resource-rich territory — even as formal channels for cooperation remain the established route for medical and defence matters.
Watch for formal statements from the US Department of Defense and subsequent diplomatic communications between Washington and Copenhagen. Any future deployments of US assets to Greenlandic waters would require clear, written agreements to avoid constitutional disputes and to preserve trust among the three parties: Greenland, Denmark and the United States.
Sources
- The Guardian (news media)
- Associated Press (news agency; contributed reporting)
- Agence France-Presse (news agency; contributed reporting)
- DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) (public broadcaster; reporting on official statements)
- Danish Defence / Forsvaret (official)