Danish military evacuates US submariner off Greenland
The Danish military said its Arctic command forces evacuated the crew of a US submarine off the coast of Greenland for emergency medical treatment.
The Danish Joint Arctic Command said on its Facebook page that the crew member was evacuated on Saturday about 13 kilometers off Nuuk, the capital of the vast ice-covered region, and transferred to a hospital in the city.
The crew member was rescued by a Danish Seahawk helicopter deployed on an inspection ship.
The evacuation came after US President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy a hospital ship to the autonomous Danish region of Greenland, arguing that many people there were sick and unable to receive care, prompting Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to defend Denmark’s healthcare system.
Historically strong bilateral ties between NATO allies Denmark and the US have come under serious strain in recent months as Trump has stepped up talk of a US takeover of the mineral-rich and strategically located Arctic island.
Frederiksen defended Denmark’s healthcare system on Sunday, writing on Facebook that he was “happy to live in a country where everyone has free and equal access to healthcare.”
