Donald Trump says hospital ship ‘en route’ to Greenland – Navy says no orders have been issued

The Pentagon has reportedly not received any orders to send a hospital ship to Greenland, despite President Donald Trump claiming over the weekend that a hospital ship was “en route.”The military has not received orders to deploy any Navy ships, and both Navy hospital ships are reportedly docked at a shipyard in Alabama, according to the Wall Street Journal.The Independent has contacted the Navy, Pentagon and White House for comment.On Saturday, President Trump claimed a mission was en route to the autonomous territory of Denmark and posted photos of the Navy’s USS Mercy hospital ship.“We will be working with the wonderful Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, to send a great hospital ship to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick and not getting care there,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Already on the way!!!”The president’s remarks came on the same day that the Danish military conducted an emergency medical evacuation of a crew member aboard a U.S. submarine near Greenland, flying them via helicopter to a hospital in the island’s capital, Nuuk, for treatment.The leaders of Greenland and Denmark have dismissed suggestions that a hospital ship is needed.“This would be our ‘no,'” Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen wrote on Facebook on Sunday.“President Trump’s idea of ​​sending a U.S. hospital ship to Greenland has received appropriate attention,” he added. “But we have a public health system that provides free care to citizens.”“It’s great to live in a country where everyone has free and equal access to health,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wrote in a separate statement. “It’s not insurance and wealth that determine whether you get appropriate treatment. It’s the same way in Greenland.”Landry, who also serves as the U.S. envoy to Greenland, reacted angrily to the officials’ condemnation.“Shame on Chancellor Jens Frederik Nielsen!” he wrote on X on Sunday.“After speaking with many Greenlanders about the day-to-day problems they face, one issue stands out – healthcare,” he added. “Many villages and small towns lack basic services that Americans often take for granted.”The confusion over the hospital ship mission comes as tensions rise between the United States and its northern neighbor, as President Trump has repeatedly hinted that he wants to take over or potentially invade Greenland, despite the objections of local officials and European partners.In January, Trump vowed not to use military force in Greenland and walked back his threat to impose tariffs on U.S. allies who opposed the move.He said the United States and NATO allies had reached a “framework for a future agreement” on Arctic island territories.