Denmark’s defense minister said Greenland does not need outside medical assistance, pushing back against a claim by U.S. President Donald Trump that a hospital ship is headed to the autonomous Danish territory.
“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. So it’s not as if there’s a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland,” Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told Danish broadcaster DR.
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Healthcare in Greenland, as in Denmark, is free at the point of use. The vast Arctic island maintains five regional hospitals, with the main facility in the capital, Nuuk, treating patients from across the territory. Earlier this month, Greenland’s local government and Copenhagen signed an agreement to improve treatment pathways for Greenlandic patients in Danish hospitals.
Trump has asserted he was dispatching a U.S. hospital ship to Greenland, declaring “It’s on the way!!!” in a social media post. He has also argued that the United States must control Greenland to ensure its security, though he has backed off earlier threats to seize the territory after reaching what he called a “framework” arrangement with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to bolster U.S. influence.
Lund Poulsen said he was not aware of any impending arrival of a hospital ship. “Trump is constantly tweeting about Greenland. So this is undoubtedly an expression of the new normal that has taken hold in international politics,” he told DR.
The comments underscore Denmark’s message that Greenland’s existing medical system — supported by referral access to Danish specialists — is sufficient even as Washington steps up its attention to the Arctic. Separately, Denmark’s Arctic Command said it evacuated a crew member from a U.S. submarine off the coast of Nuuk after the sailor requested urgent medical attention.
The debate over health resources comes as the Danish royal family and political leaders signal support for Greenland amid heightened strategic interest in the region. Last week, Denmark’s King Frederik X visited the island for three days. “It is a great pleasure for me to be back in Greenland and to meet the Greenlandic people,” he told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
The king said the people of Greenland and their well-being are “very close to my heart. They always have been. They always will be.” Frederik became monarch in 2024 after the abdication of Queen Margrethe and last visited Greenland in April 2025; he also made a trip in July 2024, with royal watchers noting three visits in less than two years is unusual.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she believes Trump still wants to own Greenland, despite dialling back threats to take it by force. A U.S.-Denmark-Greenland working group has been formed to address U.S. security concerns in the Arctic, though no details have been released.
The latest exchange highlights a familiar split-screen in the High North: Denmark emphasizing governance and public services in Greenland, while the United States focuses on strategic posture and presence. For now, Copenhagen insists Greenland’s health system is meeting needs at home and through Denmark — and that no foreign hospital ship is required.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
