President Donald Trump sent a letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre suggesting that his failure to win the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has influenced his current push to seize control of Greenland.
A copy of the letter was first shared by PBS NewsHour reporter Nick Schifrin. It was dated Sunday, Jan. 18, and was later confirmed by Støre.
In the letter, Trump wrote: “Dear Jonas: 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.”
Støre was not responsible for the Nobel decision. The Peace Prize is awarded by a five-person committee appointed by the Norwegian Parliament. And Norway does not control Greenland, which is a territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO ally of the United States.
Still, Trump continued by arguing Denmark could not secure the island from major powers. “Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway?” he wrote, adding, “There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also.”
He concluded the letter by calling for NATO to back U.S. aims: “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. Thank you! President DJT.”
Trump repeats claims in Truth Social post
Trump echoed the message later the same day in a post on Truth Social, again tying Greenland to NATO and Russian threats.
“NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that ‘you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland,’” he wrote. “Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!! President Donald J. Trump.”
Allies push back on Greenland rhetoric
Trump’s recent threats involving Greenland—especially given Denmark’s status as a fellow NATO member—have appeared to strain relations with close U.S. partners.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the issue during a recent press conference, saying Greenland’s future is not for outside countries to decide.
“The future of Greenland is a decision for Greenland, and for the Kingdom of Denmark,” he said. “We are NATO partners with Denmark, and so our full partnership stands.” He added, “Our obligations on Article 5, Article 2, stand.”
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, chartered on April 4, 1949, states in part: “The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all … and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them … will assist the Party or Parties so attacked … including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.”
Nobel Peace Prize dispute continues
While Trump did not win the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, he is described as currently being in possession of the award.
On Jan. 15, the reported winner—Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado—visited the White House and presented him with her prize.
“I presented the President of the United States the medal, the peace, the Nobel Peace Prize,” she told Fox News after the closed-door meeting, calling the gift “in recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.”
The Nobel Committee has said that any such handoff is symbolic, emphasizing that Nobel Peace Prizes cannot be given away—even by the winner.
“The Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute receive a number of requests for comments regarding the permanence of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s status,” a Jan. 9 news release stated. “The facts are clear and well established. Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.”
