US President Donald Trump has linked his renewed push for control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, according to a text message he sent to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
In the message, Trump suggested that Norway’s role in the Nobel process had influenced his foreign policy posture. “Considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize … 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. He added that “the world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland.”
Støre confirmed on Monday that he had received the message in response to a text he sent Trump protesting the US decision to impose tariffs on Norway and other European countries involved in troop deployments to Greenland. PBS News first reported the existence of the text.
Donald Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize Snub
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. She presented the Nobel medal to Trump at the White House last week, citing “recognition for his unique commitment” to Venezuela’s freedom. Trump has actively campaigned for the prize, claiming to have ended eight wars since returning to the White House a year ago.
Norwegian officials have repeatedly stressed that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by an independent committee appointed by parliament, not by the government. A senior Norwegian diplomat likened current tensions to those that followed the 2010 award to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, after which China imposed economic retaliation against Norway. “We had an uphill struggle to convince China,” the diplomat said. “Now we have the same uphill struggle with Trump.”
Trump Questions Denmark’s Sovereignty Over Greenland
Trump also reiterated his long-standing claim that Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland is questionable, despite multiple US treaty recognitions, including the 1916–17 convention governing the sale of the Danish West Indies. In his message, Trump argued that Denmark could not adequately protect Greenland from Russia or China and questioned its historical claim to ownership.
“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a right of ownership anyway?” Trump wrote. “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 further argued that NATO should reciprocate what he described as his unparalleled contributions to the alliance. “I have done more for Nato than any other person since its founding, and now NATO should do something for the United States,” he said.
Støre said his response sent jointly with Finnish President Alexander Stubb called for de-escalation and proposed a three-way telephone call with Trump. PBS reported that Trump’s message was later forwarded to multiple European embassies in Washington.