COPENHAGEN, Feb 22 (Reuters) – Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Sunday “no thanks” to U.S. President Donald Trump’s idea of sending a hospital ship to Greenland, a territory Trump has repeatedly said he wants to take over.
Trump said on Saturday on social media that he was working with Louisiana Governor and special envoy to Greenland Jeff Landry to send a hospital ship to the Arctic territory.
“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 Facebook post.
Nielsen added that Greenland remained open to dialogue and cooperation, including with the United States.
“But talk to us instead of just making more or less random outbursts on social media,” he said.
Greenland, Denmark and the United States launched diplomatic talks late last month to resolve tensions following months of strain within the NATO alliance over Trump’s statements about the Arctic territory.
Trump’s comments came hours after Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command said it had evacuated a crew member requiring urgent medical treatment from a U.S. submarine in Greenlandic waters, seven nautical miles from the capital Nuuk. It was unclear whether the evacuation was linked to Trump’s post.
Reporting by Stine Jacobsen; Editing by Louise Rasmussen. Source: Reuters.
