President Donald Trump warned European leaders that he no longer feels bound to prioritize peace, linking his frustration over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize to his campaign to bring Greenland under U.S. control.
The remarks, delivered in a private text message sent to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, come as tensions between Washington and Europe have skyrocketed over Trump’s renewed push for the semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
“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 said in the message, which was first reported by PBS and confirmed as accurate in a statement by the Norwegian leader.
Trump on Saturday declared that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland will face a 10% tariff on all goods beginning Feb. 1. That rate, he said, will increase to 25% on June 1 and remain in place until what he described as the “Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” is finalized.
Støre confirmed that Trump’s message was sent in response to a joint communication from himself and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. The initial message urged Trump to reconsider the looming tariff increases and called for de-escalation, according to the Norwegian prime minister.
“Norway’s position on Greenland is clear,” the Norwegian leader said in a statement. “Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter.”
“As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, I have clearly explained, including to President Trump what is well known, the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee and not the Norwegian Government,” the prime minister added.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize not to Trump but to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
“I can’t think of anybody in history that should get the Nobel Prize more than me,” the president, who has long sought the prize, said at a White House meeting with oil executives last week.
During a White House meeting last week, Machado handed Trump her Nobel medal. However, the Nobel Committee quickly clarified that the prize cannot be transferred, shared or symbolically reassigned under any circumstances.
The diplomatic standoff came as Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK sent a small number of military personnel to participate in joint exercises with Denmark, which currently administers the island.
“On top of everything else, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social announcement of the tariffs. “This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet. These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable.”
Trump has defended his Greenland push by arguing that Denmark and Greenland lack the capability to defend the territory from growing Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic. Nordic leaders have largely rejected that assessment, saying there is no immediate military threat in the region, a view shared by Moscow.
“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway?” Trump reportedly questioned in the message to Støre. “There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also.”
“I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland,” Trump wrote.
European leaders have responded to Trump’s latest tariff threats by warning that retaliation is on the table.
“We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland,” the eight countries targeted by Trump’s new tariffs said in a statement Sunday. “Building on the process begun last week, we stand ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind. Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”
EU leaders are also set to discuss options at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday, including a package of tariffs on 93 billion euros of U.S. imports that could kick in on Feb. 6. Another option under consideration is the so far never used “Anti-Coercion Instrument,” which could include new tariffs, taxes on tech companies, or restrictions on access to certain parts of the EU market, according to Bloomberg.
“Alliances endure because they’re built on respect and partnership, not pressure,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday. “That is why I said the use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong.”
Nigel Farage, UK Reform Party leader and long-time Trump ally, also hit back at the president’s threat of tariffs, calling it “very hurtful,” according to GB News.
“Whether Trump is bluffing or not is always difficult to tell, but to use economic threats against the country that’s been considered to be your closest ally for over 100 years is not the kind of thing we would expect,” Farage said Monday, adding that he would be “having words” with Trump.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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