Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store revealed Tuesday that he got a message from US President Donald Trump, griping about missing out on the Nobel Peace Prize, and claiming it reshaped his views on alliances and global deals.
However, Store wasted no time setting the record straight. He told Trump, as he has others, that Norway’s government plays no role in picking Nobel winners.
“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,” Jonas Gahr Store said in a statement.
The exchange kicked off when Store and Finland’s President Alexander Stubb messaged Trump earlier that day. They pushed back against his tariff threats targeting Norway, Finland, and others over Greenland issue.
“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 to President Trump sent earlier on the same day, on behalf of myself and the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb. In our message to Trump, we conveyed our opposition to his announced tariff increases against Norway, Finland and select other countries,” Store said.
They urged de-escalation and offered a quick call with Trump, Stubb, and Store. Trump replied back fast, and chose to loop in other NATO leaders too. “We pointed to the need to de-escalate and proposed a telephone conversation between Trump, Stubb and myself on the same day. The response from Trump came shortly after the message was sent. It was his decision to share his message with other NATO leaders,” the Norwegian PM added.
What Trump’s Message Said
Trump didn’t hold back in his reply. He tied Norway’s Nobel decision directly to his shifting priorities. “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,” Trump said.
From there, Trump zeroed in on Greenland, the Danish territory he’s long eyed for the US. He challenged Denmark’s hold on it, pointing to weak defenses against powers like Russia or China. “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,” he said.
Trump wrapped up with a bold claim on worldwide safety. “The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland,” he said.
Store stood firm on Norway’s stance. He affirmed Greenland’s place in the Kingdom of Denmark and stressed NATO’s role in Arctic stability. “Norway’s position on Greenland is clear. Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter. We also support that NATO, in a responsible way, is taking steps to strengthen security and stability in the Arctic,” he said.
All this comes amid Trump’s warnings of 10 percent tariffs on the UK and EU nations unless they hand over Greenland to the US.
