No Nobel, no peace? Trump links Greenland takeover push to snub in letter to Norway PM
Trump has justified his stance by framing Greenland as a strategic security necessity, citing threats from Russia and China. In a post on his Truth Social, he claimed NATO had warned Denmark for years about securing the territory.
- Jan 19, 2026,
- Updated Jan 19, 2026 2:56 PM IST
United States President Donald Trump has linked his renewed push to seize control of Greenland to frustration over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, according to a letter he sent to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store that was first reported by a journalist with the Public Broadcasting Service.
In the letter, Trump suggested that Norway’s failure to award him the prestigious peace prize had altered his approach to global 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 while peace would remain “predominant,” he would now focus on “what is good and proper for the United States of America.”
Trump went on to assert that “the World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland,” reviving one of the most controversial geopolitical ideas of his presidency and intensifying tensions with European allies.
Norwegian Prime Minister Store swiftly rejected the premise of Trump’s claims, emphasising that the Nobel Peace Prize is not awarded by the Norwegian government. “Regarding the Nobel Peace Prize, I have several times clearly explained to Trump what is well known, namely that it is an independent Nobel Committee, and not the Norwegian government, that awards the prize,” Store said in a statement.
Business Today was unable to verify the developments on independently.
NATO allies alarmed
Trump’s remarks come amid growing unease among NATO allies following his weekend threat to impose tariffs on several European countries unless the United States is granted control over Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. The escalation has prompted strong reactions across Europe, with French President Emmanuel Macron calling for the European Union to consider deploying its most powerful retaliation mechanisms.
EU ambassadors met on January 18 to discuss possible countermeasures should Washington follow through on its threats, including tariffs on approximately €93 billion ($108 billion) worth of American goods. EU leaders are scheduled to convene for an emergency summit later this week.
Trump has justified his stance by framing Greenland as a strategic security necessity, citing threats from Russia and China. In a post on his Truth Social, he claimed NATO had warned Denmark for years about securing the territory. “NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that ‘you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland.’ Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!” Trump wrote.
Several senior US officials have echoed this argument. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told NBC’s Meet the Press on January 18 that Europe lacked the capacity to ensure Greenland’s security, reinforcing the administration’s position that American control would be stabilizing.
Nobel controversy resurfaces
The letter has also reignited controversy around Trump’s long-standing desire for the Nobel Peace Prize. Norway reacted with disbelief last week after Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado handed her medal to Trump during a White House meeting. Trump accepted the medal from the Venezuelan opposition leader, claiming credit for resolving multiple conflicts during his second term.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee moved quickly to clarify that the gesture carried no legal or symbolic weight. “The Nobel Prize and the laureate are inseparable,” the committee said in a statement. “Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else’s possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”
In a separate social media post, the committee added that “a prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed.”
In the letter, Trump questioned Denmark’s historical claim to Greenland, arguing that there were no definitive documents establishing ownership and asserting that American vessels had also reached the territory centuries ago. He further claimed that NATO “should do something for the United States” in return for his contributions to the alliance.
United States President Donald Trump has linked his renewed push to seize control of Greenland to frustration over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, according to a letter he sent to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store that was first reported by a journalist with the Public Broadcasting Service.
In the letter, Trump suggested that Norway’s failure to award him the prestigious peace prize had altered his approach to global 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 while peace would remain “predominant,” he would now focus on “what is good and proper for the United States of America.”
Trump went on to assert that “the World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland,” reviving one of the most controversial geopolitical ideas of his presidency and intensifying tensions with European allies.
Norwegian Prime Minister Store swiftly rejected the premise of Trump’s claims, emphasising that the Nobel Peace Prize is not awarded by the Norwegian government. “Regarding the Nobel Peace Prize, I have several times clearly explained to Trump what is well known, namely that it is an independent Nobel Committee, and not the Norwegian government, that awards the prize,” Store said in a statement.
Business Today was unable to verify the developments on independently.
NATO allies alarmed
Trump’s remarks come amid growing unease among NATO allies following his weekend threat to impose tariffs on several European countries unless the United States is granted control over Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. The escalation has prompted strong reactions across Europe, with French President Emmanuel Macron calling for the European Union to consider deploying its most powerful retaliation mechanisms.
EU ambassadors met on January 18 to discuss possible countermeasures should Washington follow through on its threats, including tariffs on approximately €93 billion ($108 billion) worth of American goods. EU leaders are scheduled to convene for an emergency summit later this week.
Trump has justified his stance by framing Greenland as a strategic security necessity, citing threats from Russia and China. In a post on his Truth Social, he claimed NATO had warned Denmark for years about securing the territory. “NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that ‘you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland.’ Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!” Trump wrote.
Several senior US officials have echoed this argument. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told NBC’s Meet the Press on January 18 that Europe lacked the capacity to ensure Greenland’s security, reinforcing the administration’s position that American control would be stabilizing.
Nobel controversy resurfaces
The letter has also reignited controversy around Trump’s long-standing desire for the Nobel Peace Prize. Norway reacted with disbelief last week after Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado handed her medal to Trump during a White House meeting. Trump accepted the medal from the Venezuelan opposition leader, claiming credit for resolving multiple conflicts during his second term.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee moved quickly to clarify that the gesture carried no legal or symbolic weight. “The Nobel Prize and the laureate are inseparable,” the committee said in a statement. “Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else’s possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”
In a separate social media post, the committee added that “a prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed.”
In the letter, Trump questioned Denmark’s historical claim to Greenland, arguing that there were no definitive documents establishing ownership and asserting that American vessels had also reached the territory centuries ago. He further claimed that NATO “should do something for the United States” in return for his contributions to the alliance.