US Submarine Crew Evacuated off Greenland, Trump’s Hospital Ship Offer Rejected

Denmark’s military evacuated a crew member from a U.S. Submarine on Saturday, February 21, 2026, off the coast of Greenland due to a medical emergency. The incident occurred approximately seven nautical miles (8 miles; 13 kilometers) from Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. Simultaneously, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to send a hospital ship to Greenland, a proposal swiftly rejected by Danish and Greenlandic officials.

Medical Evacuation Details

The Danish Joint Arctic Command reported that the crew member was transferred to a hospital in Nuuk after being retrieved by a Danish Seahawk helicopter deployed from an inspection ship Reuters. The specific medical condition requiring evacuation has not been disclosed.

Trump’s Hospital Ship Offer and Response

Donald Trump stated his intention to send the USNS Mercy hospital ship to Greenland, claiming that residents were not receiving adequate healthcare The Guardian. He wrote on his Truth Social platform, “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!!!”

But, both Danish and Greenlandic leaders quickly dismissed the offer. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen defended Denmark’s healthcare system, emphasizing free and equal access to care for all citizens AP News. Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen echoed this sentiment, stating, “That will be ‘no thanks’ from us,” and highlighting Greenland’s own public health system providing free care to its citizens The Guardian.

Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic politician in the Danish parliament, criticized the offer as “desperate” and argued it would not contribute to the long-term strengthening of Greenland’s healthcare system The Guardian.

Strained US-Denmark Relations

This exchange occurs amidst existing tensions in the relationship between the United States and Denmark, particularly regarding Trump’s past interest in acquiring Greenland for national security reasons AP News. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen noted that Danish authorities were not informed about the planned deployment of the hospital ship.