Former U.S. President Donald Trump has directly linked his controversial push for American control of Greenland to his frustration over not being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, according to a letter obtained by Bloomberg News.
A Letter of Grievance and Geopolitical Ambition
In correspondence sent to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Trump expressed his displeasure at being overlooked for the prestigious award. "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 in the letter dated January 2026. He added, "Although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America."
The letter reveals a direct connection between this personal grievance and his escalating geopolitical demands in the Arctic. Trump explicitly stated, "The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland." This stance has sent shockwaves through the NATO alliance and European capitals.
Norway's Clarification and EU Backlash
Prime Minister Store was quick to correct the record regarding the Nobel committee's independence. In a statement to Bloomberg, Store noted he had "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."
Meanwhile, Trump's threats over the weekend to impose tariffs on a group of European NATO members unless he gains control of Greenland have triggered a severe transatlantic crisis. The escalation prompted outrage among European Union leaders, with French President Emmanuel Macron calling for the activation of the bloc's most powerful retaliation tool.
EU ambassadors convened an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss countermeasures, which could include tariffs on approximately €93 billion (US$108 billion) worth of American goods. The bloc's leaders are scheduled for an emergency summit on Thursday to formulate a unified response.
Symbolic Gesture and Security Justifications
The controversy was further inflamed last week when 2024 Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, presented her medal to Trump during a White House meeting. Trump, who has long coveted the award and claims to deserve it for resolving conflicts, accepted the symbolic gift.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee swiftly issued a statement clarifying that "the Nobel Prize and the laureate are inseparable" and that "a prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed."
On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump defended his position on Greenland by invoking security concerns, posting on Monday: "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!!!" This message has been echoed by senior U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who argued on NBC's Meet the Press that Europe was too weak to ensure Greenland's security.
A request for comment sent to the White House regarding the letter was not immediately returned.
