Copenhagen, Denmark — The Danish military said its Arctic Command forces evacuated a crew member on a US submarine off the coast of Greenland for urgent medical treatment.
The crew member was evacuated on Saturday about 7 nautical miles (8 miles; 13 kilometers) off Nuuk – the capital of the vast ice-covered region – and was taken to a hospital in the city, the Danish Joint Arctic Command said on its Facebook page. The crew member was recovered by a Danish Seahawk helicopter deployed on board an inspection vessel.
Also late Saturday, US President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy a hospital ship to the autonomous Danish region of Greenland, claiming that many people there are sick and not receiving care — prompting Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to defend Denmark’s healthcare system.
“Working with the wonderful Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we will be sending a great hospital boat to Greenland to care for the many sick people who are not being cared for there. It is on the way!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, referring to his special envoy to Greenland.
Historically strong bilateral relations after World War II between Denmark and the United States, both members of NATO, have been subjected to severe tension in recent months, with Trump intensifying talk about the possibility of the United States taking control of the island, which is rich in minerals and has a strategic location in the Arctic.
Frederiksen defended Denmark’s health care system on Sunday, writing on Facebook that she was “happy to live in a country where everyone has free and equal access to health care. Where insurances and wealth do not determine whether you get the right treatment.”
“You have the same approach in Greenland,” she said, before adding: “Happy Sunday to all of you” in front of a blushing smiley emoji.