Danish authorities on Sunday confirmed their rejection of the proposal floated by US President Donald Trump to send a hospital ship to Greenland, stressing that the self-governing territory has a fully integrated health system and does not need external assistance in this regard.
A decisive official response
The Danish response came swiftly from Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, who told Danish television that Greenlanders already receive the necessary healthcare. Poulsen explained, "Citizens receive treatment either on the island or are transferred to Denmark in cases requiring specialized care. There is no logical reason to accept a private healthcare initiative or to allow a hospital ship to dock there.".
A veiled message from the Prime Minister
For her part, without mentioning the US president by name, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen posted a comment on her Facebook account expressing her pride in her country's social and healthcare model. Frederiksen stated, "I am happy to live in a country that guarantees free and equal access to healthcare for all, where neither insurance companies nor wealth determine the quality of treatment an individual receives," emphasizing that this same approach is in place in Greenland.
An integrated health system and close cooperation
Greenland has a free, tax-funded healthcare system, self-governed by the local government, but it relies heavily on Danish medical personnel and collaboration with major hospitals in Copenhagen. The Arctic island has five regional hospitals, the most prominent being the hospital in the capital, Nuuk, which receives patients from across the territory. In early February, the Greenlandic government signed a new agreement with the Danish government to improve the referral and treatment of Greenlandic patients in Denmark, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the existing system.
Background to American tensions and ambitions
This medical offer cannot be separated from the broader political context, as President Trump previously sparked a major diplomatic controversy in 2019 when he expressed his desire to "buy" Greenland, a move that was met with staunch rejection and condemnation from both Copenhagen and Nuuk. The current offer reflects the continued and growing American interest in this Arctic region.
The strategic importance of Greenland
Greenland is gaining increasing geopolitical importance for the United States and NATO, given its strategic location in the Arctic, an area witnessing growing international competition, particularly with Russia and China. Washington views the island as a vital gateway to North American national security, which explains its ongoing attempts to cultivate closer ties through soft power, such as economic aid and medical assistance, to bolster American influence on the island, which already hosts the US air base at Thule.
