KNews 19 January 2026
In a letter to Norway’s prime minister, the U.S. president ties his Arctic ambitions to the Nobel snub and questions Denmark's claim to the island
In a surprising twist, U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested his aggressive push for Greenland is tied, at least in part, to not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. The revelation came in a letter Trump sent to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gaard Storeh on Sunday, first reported by PBS journalist Nick Shifrin and confirmed by Storeh.
In the letter, Trump pointedly wrote that since Norway “decided not to award me the Nobel Peace Prize for ending eight wars and counting,” he no longer felt obliged to focus solely on peace, though he said it “will always remain a paramount priority.” Instead, Trump argued, he must now act in what he sees as the best interests of the United States, singling out Greenland as a strategic prize.
“Denmark is not in a position to protect the territory in question from Russia or China, and besides, why does it have ‘ownership rights’ over it?” Trump wrote. “There are no documents; it is simply the fact that a ship landed there hundreds of years ago… The world cannot be considered safe if we do not have complete and absolute control over Greenland.”
Norwegian Prime Minister Storeh confirmed the letter and said he has repeatedly explained to Trump that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by an independent committee, not the Norwegian government. Storeh described Trump’s message as a response to a prior note he sent, along with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, urging the U.S. president to de-escalate recent tariff disputes targeting Norway, Finland, and other allies.
“Norway’s position on Greenland is clear and unwavering,” Storeh said. “Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and we fully support Denmark on this matter. At the same time, we support the responsible strengthening of NATO’s efforts in the Arctic.”
The letter, reportedly circulated to several European ambassadors in Washington via the National Security Council, sheds new light on Trump’s rationale for his persistent campaign to acquire Greenland, a campaign that has already included threats of tariffs on Denmark and other European allies.
While Trump has long argued Greenland is vital for U.S. security due to increasing Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic, the Nobel Peace Prize angle adds an unexpected personal dimension to the already tense diplomatic debate.
