COPENHAGEN, Feb 22 (Reuters) – Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen declined U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to send a hospital ship to Greenland, a territory Trump has shown interest in acquiring.

On Saturday, Trump announced on social media that he was collaborating with Louisiana Governor and special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, to arrange for a hospital boat to be sent to the territory.

Nielsen responded on Facebook, stating, “We have taken note of President Trump’s suggestion to send an American hospital ship here. However, we have our own public healthcare system that offers free treatment for our citizens. This is a choice we have made.”

He emphasized that Greenland is open to dialogue and cooperation, including with the U.S. “But please reach out to us instead of making random comments on social media,” he added.

Last month, Greenland, Denmark, and the U.S. started diplomatic discussions to address tensions that had arisen within the NATO alliance due to Trump’s remarks about the Arctic territory.

Trump's announcement about the hospital ship came shortly after Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command reported that a crew member needing urgent medical care was evacuated from a U.S. submarine in Greenlandic waters, about seven nautical miles from Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. It was unclear if there was any connection between the two events.