President Donald Trump has once again shown interest in acquiring Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, by announcing plans to send a naval hospital ship to assist patients in the area. This offer was met with skepticism and rejection by Greenland's Prime Minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, who emphasized that the territory's citizens benefit from a free public healthcare system. Trump shared this intention after a meeting with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, whom he appointed as a special envoy to Greenland. This comes on the heels of a recent incident where a U.S. submariner was airlifted to the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, by the Danish military.

Greenland has consistently affirmed its desire to retain its status as a Danish autonomous territory and has no interest in being sold, a sentiment echoed by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. The region, which has a population of approximately 56,000, operates six hospitals, and the Greenlandic government recently signed a medical agreement with Denmark to address healthcare gaps. Greenland's Minister of Health, Anna Bangenheim, criticized Trump's comments as another form of psychological warfare against the residents of Greenland, labeling it as disrespectful.

In response to the proposal, Prime Minister Frederiksen noted that Denmark provides universal healthcare access, stressing that the accessibility of medical treatment should not depend on insurance or wealth. The U.S. naval hospital ship's specifics, including which vessel would be sent and its timing, remain unclear, and both the White House and the Department of Defense have not provided details regarding this military assistance offer. Reports indicate some skepticism surrounding the initiative, with the Wall Street Journal confirming that the logistical details of the hospital ship deployment remain unverified.