Trump links Greenland push to Nobel Peace Prize snub

U.S. President Donald Trump has linked his renewed push to take control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, saying he no longer feels obliged to think “purely of peace” as tensions with Europe threaten to reignite a trade war.

In an interview with NBC News, Trump declined to say whether he would use military force to seize Greenland, but reiterated his threat to impose tariffs on European nations if negotiations fail. His campaign to wrest sovereignty over the Arctic island from fellow NATO member Denmark has prompted the European Union to consider retaliatory measures.

The dispute risks destabilising NATO, the alliance that has underpinned Western security for decades and is already strained by the war in Ukraine and Trump’s insistence that allies increase defence spending or lose U.S. protection.

Trump’s rhetoric has rattled European industry and unsettled financial markets, with investors fearing a return to the volatility of the 2025 trade war, which only eased after tariff agreements were reached mid-year.

In a text message sent on Sunday to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, Trump cited Norway’s decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize. “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 he would now prioritise what he viewed as U.S. interests. Norway’s government released the message on Monday.

Stoere, who had contacted Trump alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb to urge de-escalation, received Trump’s response within half an hour.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, a decision that angered Trump. In his message, Trump also repeated claims that Denmark cannot adequately protect Greenland from Russia or China, questioning Denmark’s right to sovereignty and declaring that global security required “Complete and Total Control of Greenland” by the United States.

On Saturday, Trump vowed to impose escalating tariffs from February 1 on Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, as well as Britain and Norway, until the U.S. is allowed to buy Greenland, which has a population of about 57,000.

“We are living in 2026 — you can trade with people, but you don’t trade people,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said during a visit to London. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the territory must decide its own future and would not be pressured, stressing dialogue, respect and international law.

Denmark’s military said Danish troops would deploy to western Greenland on Monday as part of the Arctic Endurance exercise.

Norway’s Stoere said he would attend the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, overlapping with Trump’s planned appearance, though Norway would not change its position on Greenland. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also said he would seek talks with Trump, warning that Europe was prepared to respond if hit with unreasonable tariffs.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cautioned European governments against retaliation, dismissing suggestions that Trump’s actions were driven by the Nobel Prize. He said Greenland was viewed as a strategic asset for the United States.

EU leaders will meet at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday to consider their response. Options include tariffs on €93 billion ($108 billion) of U.S. imports or deploying the bloc’s unused Anti-Coercion Instrument, which could restrict U.S. access to public contracts, investment or services markets.

The EU said it continued to engage with Washington at all levels, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for calm dialogue and said he did not believe Trump was considering military action to seize Greenland.