U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned 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 at present 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 newest level of friction with the American chief who has regularly talked about seizing the large Arctic territory.
“It’s a no thanks from right here,” mentioned Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
Trump’s social media put up a few hospital ship got here after Denmark’s army mentioned 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, mentioned 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 put up on his Reality Social platform on Saturday night time, referred to his particular envoy for Greenland and mentioned, “Working with the unbelievable Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we’re going to ship an incredible 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 best way!!!”
Nielsen mentioned it wasn’t needed.
“We now have a public well being care system the place therapy is free for residents. That may be a deliberate alternative — and a elementary a part of our society,” Nielsen mentioned. “That isn’t the way it works within the USA, the place it prices cash to see a health care provider.”
He added, in a notice of exasperation, that Greenland is all the time open to dialogue and cooperation. “However please discuss to us as a substitute of simply making kind of random statements on social media,” he mentioned.
Danish Protection Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, talking to public broadcaster DR, mentioned Danish authorities had not been knowledgeable that the U.S. ship was on its means.
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 info.
Each ships are at present at a shipyard in Cell, Ala., in keeping with social media posts from the shipyard, which additionally posted images of them subsequent to one another.
When requested in regards to the standing of the ships and the president’s put up, the Navy referred inquiries to the White Home.
The traditionally robust bilateral ties after World Warfare II between NATO allies Denmark and the USA have come beneath extreme pressure in current months as Trump ratcheted up discuss of a potential 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 “completely satisfied 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’ve the identical method in Greenland,” she mentioned, 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 moderately determined and doesn’t contribute to the everlasting and sustainable strengthening of the well being care system that we’d like.”
“One other day. One other loopy information story,” she wrote in entrance of a smiley face emoji.
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Related Press author Michelle L. Worth in Washington contributed to this story.
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