Trump plans to send hospital ship to Greenland

Trump plans to send hospital ship to Greenland
President Donald Trump's Truth Social post featured an illustration of the USNS Mercy, one of two hospital ships operated by the U.S. Navy.
@realDonaldTrump on Truth Social

U.S. President Donald Trump said he plans to send a hospital ship to Greenland, working with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. He announced the move in a social media post shortly before meeting Republican governors in Washington.

"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!!!" he said.

Neither the White House nor Landry's office responded to queries about the post, including whether Denmark or Greenland had asked for assistance or which patients needed treatment.

The U.S. Department of Defense had no immediate comment.

Danish King Frederik visited Greenland for the second time in a year last week, an effort to signal unity with the territory as Trump renews his push to acquire the island.

Trump’s post appeared hours after Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command said it had evacuated a U.S. submarine crew member who "required urgent medical treatment" seven nautical miles from Nuuk.

It remained unclear whether the hospital ship claim had any link to the evacuation or, as the article noted, "what connection Landry had with the matter".

The U.S. Navy operates two hospital ships, USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, though neither is based in Louisiana, leaving open which vessel Trump was referring to and whether any deployment had been authorised.

Greenland, Denmark and the U.S. held talks late last month aimed at easing tensions inside the NATO defence alliance.

Trump’s continued focus on Greenland has been a point of diplomatic tension.

Trump’s interest in the territory, including past suggestions that the United States should acquire it, has strained relations with Denmark and raised concerns within the NATO alliance.

Danish and Greenlandic leaders have defended Greenland’s autonomy and rejected proposals for U.S. ownership, while recent diplomatic talks and visits have aimed to ease frictions created by the issue.

Greenland’s government has said it will pursue defence arrangements within NATO rather than accept any unilateral takeover.

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