Trump to Norway PM: No obligation to 'think purely of peace'

US President Donald Trump has told Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store that he no longer feels obligated to focus exclusively on peace, while reiterating his demand for US control over Greenland.

In a letter sent to Store, published on Monday, Trump cited Norway’s failure to award him the Nobel Peace Prize and said this had influenced his approach to international affairs.

"Dear Jonas: Since your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for stopping 8 wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of peace, although it will always be dominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States," he said.

The message was first made public by PBS NewsHour foreign correspondent Nick Schifrin and later confirmed by the Norwegian prime minister’s office.

In the same message, Trump questioned Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland and argued that the island cannot be protected from Russia or China without US involvement.

“Denmark cannot protect this land from Russia or China … The world is not safe unless we have complete and total control of Greenland,” he added.

‘Now is the time’

Store told NRK that the letter came in response to a joint message he had earlier sent to Trump together with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, opposing Washington’s plans to impose higher tariffs on Norway, Finland and other countries.

“We pointed out the need to de-escalate the exchange and requested a phone call between President Trump, President Stubb and myself,” Store said.

He stressed that Norway’s position on Greenland remains unchanged.

“Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark in this matter,” he said, adding that Oslo also backs NATO efforts to maintain security and stability in the Arctic.

Store also rejected Trump’s claim regarding the Nobel Peace Prize, noting that it is awarded by the independent Norwegian Nobel Committee, not by the Norwegian government.

Trump later repeated his rhetoric on Greenland on his social media company Truth Social, writing that “now is the time” to address what he described as security threats in the Arctic.

Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has long attracted US interest due to its strategic location and vast mineral resources, as well as alleged concerns about rising Russian and Chinese activity.

Trump said on Saturday that Washington will impose 10 percent tariffs on goods from eight European nations, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland, from February 1, rising to 25 percent in June, for their opposition to US control of Greenland and sending a small number of personnel to the autonomous territory.

The eight European countries issued a joint statement on Sunday in response, denouncing the US threat and reaffirming their commitment to Arctic security.