President Donald Trump linked his push to acquire Greenland to the fact that he did not win the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, writing in a Jan. 18 letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre that he no longer feels obligated to prioritize peace exclusively, PBS NewsHour correspondent Nick Schifrin reported.
“Dear Jonas: 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, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America,” Trump wrote, according to Schifrin’s account of the message.
Trump went on to challenge Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland, arguing the territory is critical to global security.
“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also,” Trump wrote, later adding, “The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland.”
Støre confirmed in a Jan. 19 statement that he received the message after he and Finnish President Alexander Stubb contacted Trump to object to proposed U.S. tariffs on European imports. On Jan. 17, Trump threatened to impose a 10% tariff on eight European countries, including Finland and Denmark, beginning Feb. 1, unless “a deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.” He said the tariffs would increase to 25% on June 1.
“Norway’s position on Greenland is clear,” Støre said. “Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter. We also support that NATO in a responsible way is taking steps to strengthen security and stability in the Arctic.”
Støre also emphasized that Norway’s government does not award the Nobel Peace Prize, which has been decided by the independent Norwegian Nobel Committee since 1901.
The Nobel issue resurfaced last week when Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump during a White House visit, as CatholicVote reported. The Nobel Committee later clarified that a Nobel Laureate’s title cannot be transferred.
Trump has intensified talks about his interest in acquiring Greenland in recent weeks, arguing the territory is essential to U.S. national security. The island, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, holds strategic significance because of its mineral resources. The U.S. operates Pituffik Space Base on the island.
Greenlandic, Danish, and European leaders have pushed back on Trump’s campaign and, last week, Denmark and Greenland increased their military presence in the Arctic, CatholicVote reported Jan. 14.
On Jan. 18, the leaders of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement condemning Trump’s proposed tariffs. The eight NATO members warned the measure could “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended Trump’s approach Jan. 18, telling NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the President is using “the economic might of the U.S. to avoid a hot war.”
The following day, Bessent addressed the issue of Trump’s feelings about the Nobel Peace Prize. According to Reuters, Bessent told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that it was a complete “canard” to think Trump’s Greenland push was driven by resentment over the prize.
The post Trump ties push for Greenland to Nobel Peace Prize snub in letter to Norwegian prime minister appeared first on CatholicVote org.