- Norway's PM Store clarified Nobel Prizes are awarded by an independent committee, not Norway
- Trump linked his Greenland acquisition push to not winning the Nobel Peace Prize
- Trump questioned Denmark's claim to Greenland and stressed US security control
Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store found himself in an unprecedented predicament when US President Donald Trump linked his push to acquire Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Store said he wrote back to Trump, "clearly explaining" that Nobel Prizes have nothing to do with the Norwegian government and are awarded by an independent body.
"I have clearly explained, including to President Trump, what is well known, the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee, and not the Norwegian Government," he said in a statement, confirming he received a message from Trump after he and Finnish President Alexander Stubb contacted the US President to oppose proposed tariff hikes against several European countries.
"I can confirm that this is a text message that I received yesterday afternoon from President Trump. It came in response to a short text message from me sent earlier the same day, on behalf of myself and the President of Finland," Store added.
What Trump Said
The explanation came after Trump sent a message to the Norwegian Prime Minister over the weekend, claiming that one reason he is pushing to acquire Greenland is that he didn't win the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump told Norway's prime minister that he no longer felt bound to think "purely of peace", as tensions mounted between the United States and its European allies over the Arctic territory.
The message was disclosed by an official in the prime minister's office and first published by PBS.
"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," Trump wrote.
Trump also questioned Denmark's claim to Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Danish Kingdom, and asserted sweeping security demands.
"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 wrote.
"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!" he added.
The White House defended the president's position by framing it as a matter of national security.
"President Trump believes Greenland is a strategically important location that is critical from the standpoint of national security, and he is confident Greenlanders would be better served if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region," White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told news agency IANS.
According to copies of the exchange, Trump's message was a response to an earlier text from Store that was co-signed by Finland's president, Alexander Stubb. The two European leaders urged de-escalation and asked to speak with Trump directly.
