US President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States will send a hospital ship to Greenland, the Danish autonomous territory that has been at the center of escalating diplomatic tensions between Washington and Denmark.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that the vessel would provide medical care to patients in Greenland who are not currently receiving adequate treatment. He did not specify how many people would benefit or clarify the categories of patients he was referring to.
The announcement comes amid heightened global attention on the Arctic region, where Greenland’s vast mineral resources and strategic location have fueled US security concerns related to NATO, as well as geopolitical competition with Russia and China. Trump has previously threatened to take control of Greenland, triggering diplomatic strain with Copenhagen.
The president’s post included what appeared to be an AI-generated image of the US Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy sailing toward snow-covered mountains. The 272-meter vessel is typically stationed in Southern California. It remains unclear whether USNS Mercy is the ship designated for deployment.
Trump also referenced cooperation with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry in sending what he described as a large floating hospital to Greenland. Neither the White House nor Landry’s office provided further clarification on the plan, including whether the deployment was requested by Danish or Greenlandic authorities.
The statement followed recent diplomatic developments involving Denmark, Greenland, and the United States. Danish King Frederik X visited Greenland last week in a show of unity, while trilateral talks were held to ease tensions within NATO after months of strain.
Earlier the same day, Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command confirmed the medical evacuation of a US submarine crew member from waters near Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, roughly seven nautical miles offshore. It remains unclear whether the planned hospital ship deployment is connected to that evacuation.
The US Navy operates two hospital ships, USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, though neither is based in Louisiana.
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