Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen delivered a blunt response to President Trump’s generous offer of medical assistance: “no thanks.” The rejection came Sunday after Trump announced plans to send a U.S. Navy hospital ship to the Danish territory, part of ongoing efforts to address healthcare concerns in the strategically important Arctic region.
From The Guardian:
“That will be ‘no thanks’ from us,” Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the Greenlandic prime minister, wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday. “President Trump’s idea to send a US hospital ship here to Greenland has been duly noted. But we have a public health system where care is free for citizens.”
Trump: ‘Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there. It’s on the way!!! President DJT’
— CGTN Europe (@CGTNEurope) February 22, 2026
The diplomatic dust-up began Saturday when Trump posted on Truth Social that he was working with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, his special envoy to Greenland, to dispatch the hospital vessel. The President expressed concern that Greenlanders were not receiving adequate medical care under the current Danish-managed system.
From Reuters:
“President Trump’s idea of sending an American hospital ship here to Greenland has been noted. But we have a public healthcare system where treatment is free for citizens. It is a deliberate choice,” Nielsen said in a post on Facebook.
Trump announces hospital ship to Greenland — Copenhagen responds with irony
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) February 22, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said he and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry are sending a large hospital ship to Greenland.
According to Trump, the help is needed for “many sick people” who are allegedly not… pic.twitter.com/VTj1wgOAne
Danish officials quickly closed ranks behind Greenland’s rejection. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen took to Facebook to defend her country’s healthcare model, suggesting that Denmark’s taxpayer-funded system represents a superior approach to medicine. The messaging appeared designed to contrast Denmark’s socialized healthcare with the American system while rejecting Trump’s overture.
From The Guardian:
“I am happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all. Where it’s not insurances and wealth that determine whether you get proper treatment,” Frederiksen wrote.
🚨Just in: President Trump makes a new post on Greenland:
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) February 22, 2026
“Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there. It’s on the way!!!” pic.twitter.com/1FLoHNiPda
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen joined the chorus of rejection, insisting that Greenland’s population receives adequate care either locally or through medical transfers to Denmark. His comments ignored the geographic reality that Greenland’s scattered settlements often lack basic diagnostic equipment and permanent physicians, forcing residents to undertake lengthy and dangerous journeys for treatment.
From Reuters:
“But talk to us instead of just making more or less random outbursts on social media,” Nielsen said.
‘ON THE WAY’: President Trump says he is working with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to send a hospital boat to Greenland, a Danish territory that Trump has repeatedly said he wants to acquire:
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 22, 2026
“We are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people… pic.twitter.com/tsXmXC9TCf
Governor Landry, who serves as Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, forcefully pushed back against the rejection. He accused Nielsen of ignoring the plight of his own people while defending a system that leaves remote settlements without doctors or essential medical services.
From Fox News:
“Shame on Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen!” Landry wrote. “President Donald J. Trump and America care. After speaking to many Greenlanders about the day to day problems they face, one issue stood out — healthcare. Many villages and small towns lack basic services that Americans often take for granted. Small settlements are without permanent doctors, diagnostic tools, or specialist care – forcing residents to travel great distances for vital treatments that should be available at home.”
US President Donald #Trump says he was working with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry to send a hospital boat to #Greenland, a Danish territory that Trump has said he wants to acquire.https://t.co/BdSCifZlYk
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) February 22, 2026
The healthcare debate unfolds against the backdrop of Trump’s broader strategic interest in Greenland. The President has repeatedly emphasized the island’s critical importance to American national security, citing its location in the Arctic and concerns about Chinese and Russian influence in the region. Greenland’s mineral resources and strategic position make it a key piece of any comprehensive Arctic security strategy.
From Fox News:
“A healthy Greenland is vital for America’s national security,” Landry’s post concluded. “America is committed to defending Greenland, and that begins by ensuring its people are defended against basic illnesses and ailments. These missions matter because health is inseparable from security.”
The rejection comes just weeks after diplomatic talks began between the United States, Greenland, and Denmark to address tensions over the territory’s future. While Greenland’s leaders publicly dismiss American assistance, the underlying reality suggests a population that could benefit from additional medical resources. With fewer than 60,000 residents spread across a massive island, healthcare delivery remains a persistent challenge regardless of Danish assurances.
Trump’s hospital ship proposal represents an olive branch extended to a territory he views as strategically vital. That Greenland’s political leadership would prioritize protecting Danish bureaucratic pride over accepting tangible medical assistance speaks volumes about where their true loyalties lie. The American offer remains on the table, even if Greenland’s politicians lack the vision to accept it.
