Danish military evacuates US submarine crew as Trump pushes for Greenland takeover sparks tensions

The Danish military evacuated a crew member from a US submarine near Greenland for emergency treatment in a humanitarian gesture amid rising geopolitical tensions, even as US President Donald Trump’s proposal to send a hospital ship to the Arctic sparked a strong political reaction.According to the Danish Joint Arctic Command, the evacuation took place on Saturday about 7 nautical miles from the Greenland capital Nuuk.A Danish Seahawk helicopter deployed from an inspection vessel airlifted the crew member to a hospital in Nuuk for immediate treatment. Authorities did not release details about the medical emergency but confirmed the surgery was performed quickly to ensure the individual’s safety.The rescue operation comes at a sensitive time as renewed U.S. interest in Greenland raises diplomatic tensions between NATO allies Denmark and the United States. Greenland is a mineral-rich and strategically important Arctic territory.Shortly after the evacuation, Trump announced plans to send a U.S. hospital ship to Greenland, claiming residents were not receiving adequate medical care. He posted on the Truth social platform that he was coordinating with Greenland envoy Jeff Landry, the governor of Louisiana, to deploy a hospital ship to assist locals.

However, the news caught Danish authorities off guard. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Copenhagen had not been informed of any such deployment.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected Trump’s claims and defended Denmark’s universal health care model. Both Denmark and Greenland ensure free and equal access to health services, she said, stressing that treatment was not determined by wealth or insurance status.Greenlandic leaders also expressed skepticism. Aja Chemnitz, one of Greenland’s representatives in the Danish parliament, criticized the proposal, saying it did not address long-term health care needs and was more symbolic than practical.Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen acknowledged the U.S. proposal but stressed the territory’s commitment to its public health care system. While expressing openness to cooperation with Washington, he urged respectful dialogue rather than unilateral announcements.Denmark’s swift evacuation of the U.S. crew underscores the two allies’ continued operational cooperation in the strategically important Arctic region.