Trump tells Norway he no longer feels bound 'to think purely of peace'

In a letter to Norway's prime minister, President Trump linked his shift in foreign policy to not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, while escalating rhetoric over Greenland and imposing tariffs on European allies. The letter underscores a deepening transatlantic rift.

U.S. President Donald Trump has informed Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store that he no longer feels an "obligation to think purely of peace," a statement he directly linked to Norway's failure to award him the Nobel Peace Prize. In a private letter made public on Monday, Trump declared that while peace would "always be dominant," he can now prioritize "what is good and proper for the United States," signaling a more explicitly transactional and nationalistic approach to international diplomacy.

A letter mixing personal grievance with territorial ambition

The correspondence, first reported by PBS NewsHour and confirmed by the Norwegian government, was a response to a joint appeal from Store and Finnish President Alexander Stubb urging de-escalation of U.S. tariff threats. Trump used the opportunity to combine personal grievance with geopolitical demands. "Since your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for stopping 8 wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation..." he wrote. He then immediately questioned Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland, asserting, "The world is not safe unless we have complete and total control of Greenland," and arguing Denmark could not protect it from Russia or China.

Norway's firm rebuttal and defense of alliance principles

Prime Minister Store firmly rejected both the premise and the demands of Trump's letter. He clarified that the independent Norwegian Nobel Committee, not the government, awards the peace prize. More critically, he reaffirmed Norway's unwavering support for Danish sovereignty over Greenland and for NATO's role in Arctic security. "Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark in this matter," Store stated, aligning with a united European front against U.S. coercion. This stance was solidified in a Sunday joint statement from eight targeted European nations denouncing the tariff threats.

The context of economic coercion and alliance crisis

The letter is part of an escalating campaign by the Trump administration to pressure European allies over Greenland. On Saturday, Trump announced tariffs of 10% (rising to 25% in June) on goods from eight European nations, including Norway and Denmark, citing their opposition to U.S. control of Greenland. The move weaponizes trade policy to advance a unilateral territorial claim, creating one of NATO's most severe internal crises. For nations like Türkiye, a long-standing NATO member, the episode highlights the fragility of alliance unity when confronted with actions that blatantly disregard the sovereignty of member states and the collective security framework.