WASHINGTON- US President Donald Trump has explicitly linked his renewed push for control of the strategic Arctic territory of Greenland to his disappointment over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, in an extraordinary message sent to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
In a message reportedly sent on January 18 and later confirmed by Støre, Trump wrote that because Norway, which he inaccurately blames for his Nobel omission, chose not to award him the prize, he “no longer feels an obligation to think purely of Peace,” and can instead prioritize what he believes is “good and proper for the United States of America.”
Trump’s message went further, asserting that “the world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland,” a largely self-governing territory of Denmark that has been at the centre of his repeated calls for a U.S. acquisition or tighter influence.
European officials said the message was forwarded to multiple ambassadors in Washington. Greenland’s strategic importance, given its location between North America and Europe and its proximity to Russia, has long made it a subject of geopolitical interest, but Trump’s direct connection between the Nobel snub and his Greenland ambitions is unusual.
Norway’s Støre emphasised that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by an independent committee, not the Norwegian government, and reiterated that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark — a NATO ally.
The message comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and European allies, who have pushed back against Trump’s threatened tariffs and demands related to Greenland and Arctic security, stressing the need for de-escalation and respect for international law.
