U.S. President Donald Trump has warned he no longer feels bound to “think purely of peace” after being passed over for a Nobel Prize, in a text message to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store published Monday, as he escalates his controversial bid to acquire Greenland.
In the message, Trump questioned Denmark’s sovereignty over the Arctic island, claiming he wanted “complete and total control.” He wrote: “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. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China…The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland.”
The text follows Trump’s threat of new tariffs on European allies who oppose the plan, prompting alarm in capitals across Europe. German and French officials denounced the levy threats as “blackmail,” while the EU announced an emergency summit for Thursday to consider a coordinated response.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, described linking the Nobel snub to the Greenland push as “a complete canard.” Norway’s Prime Minister Store clarified that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded independently, not by the Norwegian government.
Trump has justified his Greenland ambitions on national security grounds, despite the U.S. already maintaining a base on the island under NATO arrangements with Denmark. Denmark’s Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to discuss enhanced Arctic surveillance, while NORAD announced aircraft would arrive at the U.S. Pituffik Space Base in Greenland for pre-planned operations.
Meanwhile, Greenland residents have protested Trump’s plans, carrying anti-U.S. banners over the weekend. Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the territory “will not be pressured” and insisted its democratic processes remain intact.
Markets reacted sharply to Trump’s tariff threats. Precious metals surged, with silver climbing four percent, while European equities fell—Frankfurt down 1.3 percent and Paris off 1.8 percent. U.S. markets were closed for Martin Luther King Day, though futures indicated losses of around one percent for both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.
