2 hours ago
Last Updated:February 22, 2026, 16:23 IST
US President Donald Trump said the initiative to send a naval hospital ship to Greenland is "to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there"
US President Donald Trump (L) announced the deployment of the USNS Mercy to Greenland, which he said is a move coordinated with Louisiana governor Jeff Landry (R), who was appointed a special envoy to the Arctic island in December last year. (Image: AFP/File)
Amid geopolitical tensions rising from his claims over Greenland, US President Donald Trump once again stoked the fire by saying he has dispatched a “hospital boat" to the Arctic island.
President Trump announced the deployment of the naval hospital ship to Greenland, which he said is a move coordinated with Louisiana governor Jeff Landry.
Trump claimed on his social media that the mission is already “on the way" alongside an illustration of the USNS Mercy, a prominent naval hospital ship typically reserved for disaster relief and humanitarian operations. He said the initiative is intended “to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there".
“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!!!" Trump posted.
WHY DID TRUMP SAY THIS?
While it was unclear what he exactly meant, Trump’s announcement could signal an escalation in Washington’s focus on Greenland following his December appointment of Jeff Landry as a special envoy to the Arctic territory.
Landry, whom Trump described as “fantastic", said he is “proud to work" alongside the President on what he called “this important issue". The announcement was made shortly before a White House dinner where the two were seen discussing the plan.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Trump’s announcement comes after a period of heightened geopolitical friction after his claims only last month that the United States will settle for nothing less than “total control" of Greenland.
Trump’s assertion “shook European allies" and caused significant tension within NATO. While he has recently alluded to a “framework of a future deal" discussed with the head of the military alliance, his persistent efforts to acquire the island, which belongs to NATO ally Denmark, continue to raise alarms regarding Greenlandic sovereignty.
The timing of the announcement, however, is notable as it is only hours after Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command evacuated a crew member from a US submarine outside the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk. It remains unclear if the hospital ship’s dispatch is linked to this incident or if it is purely a political manoeuvre.
As the US continues to eye the island’s strategic location – currently home to the Pituffik Space Base – Danish officials have moved to signal their resistance. King Frederik of Denmark recently conducted his second visit to Greenland in a year, a move widely interpreted as a demonstration of unity against the American push to purchase the island.
WHAT DOES GREENLAND HAVE TO SAY?
The Trump administration’s justification for the mission – addressing local medical needs – has been met with widespread confusion.
Greenland and Denmark already operate universal, nationalised healthcare systems. This announcement has, hence, fuelled fears among local residents that American intervention serves as a precursor to the “privatisation of healthcare", as per a report published by CNN.
Ludvig Petersen, a Greenlandic municipal engineer, told CNN that his primary concern regarding American influence is the potential shift away from their current social services.
“I don’t like the idea of becoming part of America," Petersen said. “My primary concern is all this privatisation of healthcare and education. It’s not something we are used to."
Despite the President’s public declarations, official military and diplomatic channels have yet to provide specifics. The Pentagon, US Northern Command, and the US Navy have not released details on the nature of the alleged medical crisis or the ship’s exact destination.
Similarly, the Danish embassy and the Greenlandic parliament have not received formal clarification on whether the ship was even requested.
(With agency inputs)
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Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
First Published:
February 22, 2026, 16:23 IST
News world 'It's On The Way': Greenland Has Free Healthcare, So Why Is Trump Sending Hospital Boat To The Island?
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