President Donald Trump connected his aggressive stance on acquiring Greenland to his failure to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in a text message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, revealing what critics called a troubling rationale for territorial ambitions.
The message, sent Jan. 18 and confirmed by the White House, stated that because Norway decided not to award him the prize for what he claimed was stopping eight wars, Trump no longer feels an obligation to think purely of peace but can now consider what is good for the United States.
The letter comes as Trump announced a 10% tariff on goods from Norway, Denmark and six other NATO allies starting Feb. 1, set to increase to 25% in June unless a deal is reached for the United States to purchase Greenland. The self-governing territory has been part of the Kingdom of Denmark for centuries.
Trump’s message was a response to a text from Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who had conveyed their opposition to the tariff announcement and proposed a telephone conversation among the three leaders.
In the message, Trump questioned Denmark’s claim to Greenland, writing that Denmark cannot protect the territory from Russia or China and asking why they have a right of ownership when it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago.
Støre responded by reaffirming Norway’s position that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and that Norway fully supports Danish sovereignty. He also clarified, as he has explained to Trump before, that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by an independent committee, not the Norwegian government.
The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who presented her medal to Trump on Jan. 15. Trump said he planned to keep it, though the Nobel Institute stated the prize cannot be revoked, transferred or shared with others.
European Council President António Costa said European Union leaders expressed readiness to defend themselves against any form of coercion. A special EU summit has been scheduled for Thursday evening.
Trump has publicly stated that controlling Greenland is essential for national security, arguing that NATO would become far more formidable and effective with Greenland under U.S. control. However, multiple polls show an intervention in Greenland would be unpopular with Americans.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement that Trump believes Greenland is strategically important for national security and is confident Greenlanders would be better served if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region.
Democratic senators criticized the letter. Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii called the situation extremely worrisome, while Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey described Trump as unhinged and embarrassing but also incredibly dangerous.
