The Pentagon has reportedly received no orders to send a hospital ship to Greenland, despite President Donald Trump’s claim over the weekend that the ship was “en route.”The Wall Street Journal reported that the Army had not received orders to deploy any Navy ships, and the two Navy hospital ships were reportedly docked at a shipyard in Alabama.
Trump’s first naval deployment to Greenland after invasion threat; Denmark in action
The Independent has contacted the Navy, Pentagon and White House for comment.On Saturday, President Trump claimed a mission was headed to the autonomous Danish territory, posting a photo of the Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy.
“Working with the wonderful Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we will be sending a great hospital boat to Greenland to care for many sick people who are not being cared for there,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It’s on the way!!!”On the same day as the president’s appointment, the Danish military conducted an emergency medical evacuation of a crew member on a US submarine near Greenland, transporting them via helicopter to a hospital in the island’s capital, Nuuk, for treatment.Leaders in Greenland and Denmark declined to indicate the need for a hospital ship.“That would be a ‘no thanks’ from us,” Greenland Prime Minister Jens Fredrik Nielsen wrote on Facebook on Sunday.“President Trump’s idea of sending a US hospital ship here to Greenland was duly noted,” he added. “But we have a public health system where care is free for citizens.”“Happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wrote in a separate statement.
“Insurances and wealth don’t determine whether you get the right treatment or not. You have the same approach in Greenland.”Landry, who also served as the US special envoy to Greenland, responded angrily to the officials’ condemnation.“Shame on Prime Minister Jens Fredrik Nielsen!” Written on Sunday“After speaking to many Greenlanders about the daily issues they face, one issue stood out: healthcare,” he added.
“Many villages and small towns lack basic services that Americans often take for granted.”
The confusion over the hospital ship’s mission came amid greater tensions between the United States and its neighbor to the north, given President Trump’s repeated overtures suggesting he wants to seize or possibly invade Greenland despite opposition from local officials and European partners.In January, Trump vowed to use military force in Greenland and backed off his threat to impose tariffs on US allies who opposed the move.He said that the US and NATO allies had reached a “framework for a future agreement” on the territory of the Arctic island.
