The escalating dispute tests the limits of the NATO alliance, with European governments disputing Trump’s characterization of their Arctic troop deployments even as they sought diplomatic off-ramps at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
President Donald Trump linked his push to take control of Greenland to Norway’s decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize, telling Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in a text message released Monday that he no longer felt “an obligation to think purely of Peace.” Trump also announced 10% import taxes beginning in February on eight European nations that had sided with Denmark over Greenland, including Norway.
The White House has not ruled out seizing Greenland by military force, and Denmark’s foreign minister said Monday that nothing could be excluded from the range of possible U.S. actions. The confrontation prompted diplomatic responses from Britain, France, and NATO, and drew thousands of Greenlanders into weekend protests.
The text message
Trump’s Sunday text to Støre was released by the Norwegian government and confirmed authentic by the White House. It read in part: “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.”
The message concluded: “The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland.”
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said Trump “is confident Greenlanders would be better served if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region.”
Støre said Trump’s message was a reply to a joint message he had sent with Finnish President Alexander Stubb opposing the tariff announcement and proposing a phone call among the three leaders.
“Norway’s position on Greenland is clear,” Støre said in a statement. “Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter.” He added that the Nobel Committee is an independent body whose members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, not the Norwegian government.
Military option not ruled out
The White House has declined to rule out using force to take Greenland. Asked Monday whether Trump could invade Greenland, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said: “you can’t leave anything out until the president himself has decided to leave anything out.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to lower tensions. “I think this can be resolved and should be resolved through calm discussion,” he said, adding that he did not believe military action would occur.
Greenland’s position
Thousands of Greenlanders marched over the weekend in protest of any effort to take over their island. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post Monday that the tariff threats would not alter their course. “We will not be pressured,” he wrote.
Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s minister for business, minerals, energy, justice and equality, told the Associated Press that the rapid allied response to the tariff threat showed that countries recognize “this is about more than Greenland.”
“I think a lot of countries are afraid that if they let Greenland go, what would be next?” she said.
Allied response
The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a statement on social media that the bloc had “no interest to pick a fight” but would “hold our ground.” European Council President António Costa announced a leaders’ summit for Thursday evening.
Six of the eight countries Trump targeted for tariffs are EU member states, which operate under a single trade policy. European nations said their collective troop deployments to Greenland — which Trump cited as justification for the tariff announcement — totaled not more than a few dozen soldiers, according to a senior European military official speaking on condition of anonymity. European governments said the troops were sent to assess Arctic security, in part in response to Trump’s stated concerns about Russian and Chinese interference in the region.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met Monday with the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland and said in a statement that the Arctic was important for the alliance’s “collective security.”
Diplomatic track
Early Tuesday, Trump posted on social media that he had spoken with Rutte and “agreed to a meeting of the various parties in Davos, Switzerland,” where leaders were gathered for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting.
Trump also posted a text message from French President Emmanuel Macron proposing a Group of Seven meeting in Paris after the Davos gathering.
Later that day, Trump posted doctored images on social media, including one showing him planting a U.S. flag next to a sign reading “Greenland, U.S. Territory, Est. 2026” and another showing Greenland and Canada covered by the U.S. flag on a map displayed in the Oval Office.
Nobel background
The Nobel Peace Prize last year was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. Trump has openly coveted the prize. Machado presented her medal to Trump, who said he planned to keep it. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the prize cannot be revoked, transferred, or shared with others.
Trump told reporters Monday evening that he did not “care about the Nobel prize.”
“A very fine woman felt that I deserved it and really wanted me to have the Nobel prize. And I appreciate that. If anybody thinks that Norway doesn’t control the Nobel prize, they’re just kidding. … And I don’t care what Norway says. But I really don’t care about that. What I care about is saving lives,” he said.