President Donald Trump announced on Saturday, February 21, that he would be sending a hospital ship to Greenland, a Danish autonomous territory that he has expressed interest in. This decision came shortly after the Danish military evacuated a member of a U.S. submarine crew off the coast of Nuuk, who required urgent medical treatment and was taken to the capital’s hospital.
President Trump justified the dispatch of the “great hospital ship to Greenland” by stating the need to “take care of the many sick people who are not being treated there.” He mentioned this on his Truth Social platform. However, it remained unclear whether the image shared with the message actually depicted the hospital ship sent to Greenland.
The operation is being conducted in collaboration with Jeff Landry, the U.S. special envoy to the Arctic since December 2025. It is uncertain what role Landry plays in the U.S. submarine operation or if Trump’s message is related to the Danish evacuation.
The evacuation was carried out on Saturday afternoon by a Danish frigate stationed in Nuuk, operating patrols between Greenland and the Faroe Islands to monitor Danish sovereignty in the Arctic. Online images, including those by local cruise company Greenland Cruises, show the submarine surfacing in Nuuk’s bay.
In response to Trump’s announcement, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen declined the offer, emphasizing that Greenland provides free healthcare to its citizens within its existing public health system. Danish officials also asserted that Greenland did not require additional medical support.
Access to healthcare in Greenland and Denmark is free, with five hospitals on the vast Arctic island. The local government recently finalized an agreement with Copenhagen to enhance healthcare services for Greenlandic patients in Danish hospitals.
On social media in Greenland, there has been a sense of pressure following the two developments – the submarine patrol and Trump’s proposal of unnecessary medical aid. The motives behind Trump’s decision to position a 1,000-bed hospital ship in Greenland have left many questioning both respect and concern.
