US President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) claimed that the administration is sending a “hospital boat” to Greenland. He further added that it is on its way to assist people who are “sick” and allegedly not receiving adequate care. Posting on Truth Social, he wrote, “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!!!”. This post was accompanied by an image depicting the USNS Mercy, a well-known naval hospital vessel. The humanitarian initiative follows the President’s December decision to appoint Louisiana governor Jeff Landry as a special envoy to the Arctic territory. The effort is being coordinated in partnership with Landry to tackle medical challenges in the region.

Louisiana governor Jeff Landry also reacted on X, thanking the President and saying he is “proud to work” alongside him on “this important issue.” However, the exact nature of the health emergency and the mission’s specific goals remain unclear. Last month, Trump announced that he had “formed the framework of a future deal” related to Greenland during talks with the head of Nato. Trump has repeatedly highlighted Greenland’s strategic importance to Washington, even describing the Arctic island as an asset the United States could buy. This prompted Denmark to reaffirm its legal sovereignty over Greenland.

Back in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump again pressed for American control of the territory. Addressing business and political leaders, he said “no nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland, other than the United States”, while accusing Nato allies of failing to meet their obligations. Meanwhile, officials in Greenland and Denmark have maintained that the territory is not for sale. However, a senior White House official said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been tasked with preparing a proposal in the coming weeks to purchase Greenland, describing the effort as a “high priority” for Trump.The US President’s statement came after a series of sharp developments involving Trump’s trade and foreign policy positions. A day earlier, he raised the global tariff he announced from 10% to 15%. This follows a landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court, which found his tariff actions illegal and questioned his authority to impose sweeping import duties without congressional approval.