Trump sent a letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, complaining that his ambitions to take over Greenland were partially because he was rejected for the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
“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,” he wrote in the letter Sunday. “Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also.”
“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,” he continued.
Store acknowledged receipt of the letter from Trump, saying it was in response to a phone call request from him and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
NATO allies are pushing President Donald Trump to embrace “calm discussion” around acquiring Greenland, after the United States hit its closest European partners with tariffs over the matter.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer led allies in taking a conciliatory tone on Monday, revealing Britain is not planning to consider retaliatory tariffs. His approach comes as Trump prepares to attend the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week, offering Britain and other NATO allies the stage to court Trump.
“A tariff war is in nobody’s interests,” Starmer told reporters. “We have not got to that stage. My focus is on making sure we don’t get to that stage.”
European Union ambassadors have already discussed the situation, with representatives from the 27-nation bloc appearing to come to the conclusion during an emergency caucus on Sunday that they preferred negotiations with the White House to instant retaliation. European leaders have already upped pledges to contribute more to Greenland’s security, as France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Finland, and Norway announced last week plans to have troops participate in joint exercises in Denmark’s territory.
“Escalation on purpose and fiery rhetoric are not our preference — negotiations are,” a senior EU government official told Politico Playbook. “But of course Europe has leverage too, and both sides need to be aware of that.”
Denmark’s defense minister and Greenland’s foreign minister were expected to meet NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Brussels on Monday to discuss strategy ahead of Davos. However, on Monday morning, the World Economic Forum said Danish government officials were no longer expected to attend the Davos forum.
“Danish government representatives were invited this year, and any decisions on attendance are a matter for the government concerned,” the Forum said in a statement to Bloomberg. “We can confirm that the Danish government will not be represented in Davos this week.”
Rutte said Sunday he had spoken with Trump, but provided few details, saying only that he looked forward to meeting with the president at Davos. Trump is set to convene with business leaders at Davos on Wednesday evening, according to Semafor, and his tariffs will likely be discussed in detail.
Rutte was among multiple international leaders who called Trump over the weekend to express concern after the president announced 10% tariffs would be levied on countries for opposing his efforts to acquire Greenland, effective next month. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Sunday she had spoken to Trump and called the tariffs a “mistake.”
Amid the European uproar, Trump reiterated concerns about Greenland, a strategic global security asset, being vulnerable to Russian and Chinese influence on Sunday evening, warning that “it is time” to fend off nefarious powers in the region.
The Trump administration has expressed confidence that European allies “will come around” on the Greenland debate.
DENMARK AND US CREATE WORKING GROUP FOR ‘FUNDAMENTAL DISAGREEMENT’ ON GREENLAND
International leaders will eventually realize that U.S. control over the Arctic island is “best for Greenland, best for Europe and best for the United States,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday during an NBC interview.
“[The tariff rollout] is a strategic decision by the president,” he said. “This is a geopolitical decision, and he is able to use the economic might of the U.S. to avoid a hot war.”
