Thanks but no thanks: Greenland declines Trump’s offer to send Navy hospital ship

U.S. President Donald Trump stated he would deploy a hospital ship to Greenland, alleging that many individuals there are sick and never receiving care, regardless that each of the U.S. Navy’s hospital ships are presently docked at a shipyard in Alabama.

Trump’s announcement prompted a protection on Sunday of Denmark and Greenland’s well being care system from their leaders, and it was the most recent level of friction with the American chief who has steadily talked about seizing the large Arctic territory.

“It’s a no thanks from right here,” stated Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

Trump’s social media submit a few hospital ship got here after Denmark’s army stated its arctic command forces on Saturday evacuated a crew member of a U.S. submarine off the coast of Greenland for pressing medical therapy.

The Danish Joint Arctic Command, on its Fb web page, stated the crew member was evacuated some 7 nautical miles (8 miles; 13 kilometers) off Nuuk — the capital of the huge, ice-covered territory — and transferred to a hospital within the metropolis. The crew member was retrieved by a Danish Seahawk helicopter that had been deployed on an inspection ship.

Trump, in a submit on his Fact Social platform on Saturday evening, referred to his particular envoy for Greenland and stated, “Working with the unbelievable Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we’re going to ship a terrific hospital boat to Greenland to deal with the various people who find themselves sick, and never being taken care of there. It’s on the way in which!!!”

Nielsen stated it wasn’t mandatory.

“We’ve got a public well being care system the place therapy is free for residents. That could be a deliberate alternative — and a basic a part of our society,” Nielsen stated. “That isn’t the way it works within the USA, the place it prices cash to see a physician.”

He added, in a word of exasperation, that Greenland is all the time open to dialogue and cooperation. “However please discuss to us as a substitute of simply making roughly random statements on social media,” he stated.

Danish Protection Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, talking to public broadcaster DR, stated Danish authorities had not been knowledgeable that the U.S. ship was on its manner.

The Pentagon referred questions in regards to the standing of the U.S. Navy’s two hospital ships, the USNS Mercy and USNS Consolation, to the White Home. The White Home didn’t instantly reply to repeated requests for extra data.

Each ships are presently at a shipyard in Cellular, Ala., in keeping with social media posts from the shipyard, which additionally posted pictures of them subsequent to one another.

When requested in regards to the standing of the ships and the president’s submit, the Navy referred inquiries to the White Home.

The traditionally robust bilateral ties after World Warfare II between NATO allies Denmark and america have come underneath extreme pressure in current months as Trump ratcheted up discuss of a doable U.S. takeover of the mineral-rich and strategically situated Arctic island.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen defended Denmark’s well being care system on Sunday, writing on Fb that she was “joyful to reside in a rustic the place there may be free and equal entry to well being for all. The place it’s not insurances and wealth that decide whether or not you get correct therapy.”

“You will have the identical strategy in Greenland,” she stated, earlier than including: “Blissful Sunday to you all” in entrance of a blushing, smiling emoji.

Aaja Chemnitz, one of many two Greenlandic politicians within the Danish parliament, wrote on Fb that “Donald Trump needs to ship a poorly maintained hospital ship to Greenland. It appears slightly determined and doesn’t contribute to the everlasting and sustainable strengthening of the well being care system that we want.”

“One other day. One other loopy information story,” she wrote in entrance of a smiley face emoji.

Related Press author Michelle L. Value in Washington contributed to this story.