President Donald Trump has linked his renewed push for U.S. control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, signaling a sharp escalation in rhetoric as tensions grow between Washington and several European allies.
In a private message sent Sunday night to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Trump criticized Norway for what he described as a decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize, saying the snub freed him from focusing solely on diplomacy.
“Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace,” Trump wrote, adding that peace would remain “predominant,” but that he could now prioritize “what is good and proper for the United States of America.”
“The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland,” Trump added.
The message, first reported by PBS NewsHour, was later confirmed by Gahr Støre, who said he received it in response to a joint text he sent with Finnish President Alexander Stubb urging Trump to de-escalate amid rising tensions over Greenland and proposed U.S. tariffs.
Norway’s prime minister rejected Trump’s claims, emphasizing that Oslo does not determine Nobel Peace Prize recipients and reaffirming support for Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland.
“Norway’s position on Greenland is clear. Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter,” Gahr Støre said in a statement. He added that NATO should continue strengthening security and stability in the Arctic “in a responsible way.”
Gahr Støre also clarified that the Norwegian government has no role in awarding the Nobel Peace Prize, which has been decided by an independent five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee since 1901.
The most recent Peace Prize, awarded for 2024, went to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado—before Trump began his second term. Machado handed the prize to Trump last week as a symbolic gesture of appreciation for his recent actions regarding Venezuela.
Trump’s remarks come as a broader dispute unfolds between the United States and Europe over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory seen as strategically vital due to its Arctic location and untapped mineral resources.
On Saturday, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that the U.S. would impose tariffs on imports from eight European countries—Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom—after they deployed limited military personnel to Greenland for a Danish-led Arctic exercise known as Arctic Endurance.
Under Trump’s plan, a 10% tariff would take effect on Feb. 1, rising to 25% by June 1, and would remain in place “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” by the United States.
The move prompted a rare joint response from the eight NATO allies, who issued a statement Sunday warning that the proposed tariffs “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”
The diplomatic strain has already had visible consequences. On Monday, the World Economic Forum confirmed that Danish government officials would not attend this week’s meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
“We can confirm that the Danish government will not be represented in Davos this week,” spokesperson Alem Tedeneke said.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Denmark lacks the ability to protect Greenland from global rivals, questioning the legitimacy of Danish control in his message to Gahr Støre.
“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway?” Trump wrote. “There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also.”
He echoed those remarks publicly last week, dismissing Denmark’s historical claims and drawing widespread reaction online. Comedian Jon Stewart responded on The Daily Show, joking, “How do you think we got our land?”
