President Donald Trump stated Saturday that he’s sending a hospital boat to Greenland, the Arctic island and Danish territory he has sought to acquire.
“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!!!” the president posted on social media alongside an illustration of the naval hospital ship the USNS Mercy.
It is unclear what Trump was referring to in his publish. Greenland and Denmark have free, nationalized well being care programs.
NCS has reached out to the White House, the Danish Embassy in Washington, Landry’s workplace, the Danish authorities and Greenland’s parliament for extra particulars. The Pentagon referred questions to US Northern Command, which in flip referred questions to the US Navy. The Navy didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Landry, whom Trump tapped in December to function particular envoy to Greenland, stated on social media he’s “proud to work” along with Trump on “this important issue.”
The US Navy has two mobile hospital ships, the USNS Mercy and the USNS Comfort, that assist troops throughout deployments and supply companies for US catastrophe aid and humanitarian operations. During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the Navy deployed the USNS Comfort to New York City, the epicenter of the virus outbreak within the United States.
Strategically situated Greenland is the world’s least densely populated nation and, due to the restricted community of roads, its 56,000 residents journey by boat, helicopter and airplane between the island’s cities. The US has one army base in Greenland, the Pituffik Space Base, which is on the western coast of the island.
Trump’s publish comes a month after his escalated efforts to acquire Greenland shook European allies as he asserted the US would accept nothing lower than complete management of the nation.
In late January, Trump introduced “the framework of a future deal” on Greenland with the NATO chief, however his continued curiosity within the Arctic island raises questions on Greenland’s sovereignty.
The thought of US management has rattled Greenlanders, together with municipal engineer Ludvig Petersen.
He beforehand told NCS that his essential aversion to American management stems from the difficulty of personal well being care.
“I don’t like the idea of becoming part of America,” he stated. “My primary concern is all this privatization of health care and education. It’s not something we are used to.”