There is something almost theatrical about Donald Trump’s latest move toward Greenland, dispatching a hospital ship to an island that, by all accounts, did not ask for one, according to AFP.
On Sunday, Denmark’s Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen calmly brushed aside the American president’s dramatic announcement, saying Greenland’s people already receive the healthcare they need, either on the island itself or through specialized treatment in Denmark. No crisis. No gap. No invitation.
“It’s not as if there’s a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland,” Poulsen told Danish broadcaster DR, with the measured tone of someone explaining the obvious.
Trump had posted on his Truth Social platform that he was sending a “great hospital boat” to treat the “many people who are sick and not being taken care of there.” The post, adorned with what appeared to be an AI-generated image of the massive USNS Mercy sailing toward snowy Arctic peaks, offered no names, no numbers, and no evidence of any healthcare emergency.
The minister admitted he had not even been informed of the ship’s possible arrival, a telling detail that speaks to how little coordination existed behind the grand gesture.
This is not the first time Trump has trained his eyes on Greenland. He has repeatedly insisted the United States must control the autonomous Danish territory for security reasons, though recent diplomatic softening followed a framework agreement with NATO’s Secretary General.
Meanwhile, Greenland quietly goes about its business. Healthcare there is free. Five regional hospitals serve the vast Arctic island, and a fresh agreement between Greenland and Copenhagen signed in February further strengthens patient care.
Sometimes the most powerful response to a loud gesture is a simple, steady no.
