Denmark rejects Trump's medical offer to Greenland and criticizes the US system
In a new chapter of diplomatic wrangling between the United States and the Arctic, Denmark and the self-governing Greenland government rejected US President Donald Trump's proposal to send a "floating hospital" to the island, using the opportunity to draw a sharp comparison between the free Scandinavian healthcare system and the expensive US healthcare system.
Details of the American offer and the Danish response
The story began when US President Donald Trump, via his Truth Social platform, proposed sending a hospital ship to provide medical services to the people of Greenland. This offer followed a medical evacuation of a crew member from a US submarine off the island's coast, who was transported to a hospital in the capital, Nuuk, for treatment.
The response from Copenhagen and Nuuk was swift and decisive. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated that Greenland's residents enjoy comprehensive healthcare and do not require external intervention. He affirmed that the healthcare system there covers all needs, and in complex cases requiring specialized expertise, patients are automatically transferred to university hospitals in Denmark.
Comparing healthcare systems: luxury versus cost
Officials did not stop at diplomatic rejection; they moved on to veiled criticism of the American system. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen commented, expressing pride in the social model that guarantees treatment for everyone regardless of wealth or insurance company, noting that this same approach is implemented in Greenland.
For their part, Greenlandic officials responded more bluntly, stating that healthcare in their country is a "public and free right," contrasting it with the situation in the United States where a doctor's visit represents a significant financial burden on citizens. They emphasized that their answer to Trump's offer was simply: "No thanks.".
Geopolitical context: Ambitions behind aid
This medical presentation cannot be separated from the historical and political context of Trump's interest in Greenland. In 2019, the US president sparked global controversy when he expressed his desire to "buy" the island, a move that was met with widespread rejection and condemnation. Greenland holds paramount strategic importance for the United States, not only because of its geographic location in the Arctic, an area witnessing increasing international competition with Russia and China, but also because it houses the vital US airbase at Thule.
Observers believe that the recent medical demonstration represents an attempt to exercise "soft power" to enhance American influence on the island, which is rich in natural resources and rare minerals. However, the Danish and Greenlandic adherence to the independence of their service and sovereign institutions prevented this.
