Ashhar Alam/New Delhi

US President Donald Trump has openly tied his aggressive stance on Greenland to last year’s decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize, according to a text released Monday by the Norwegian government. Addressed to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, the message 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.” Trump added that “the world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland.”

The revelation ratchets up an already tense standoff with the US’s closest allies, particularly Denmark, of which Greenland is a self-governing territory, and other European nations involved in Arctic security. Over the weekend, Trump announced a 10% import tariff on goods from eight nations, including Norway, in response to their support for Denmark and Greenland. European leaders quickly pushed back, emphasizing that Greenland is not for sale and urging dialogue to de-escalate the situation.

Strong opposition from Greenland also emerged, with thousands marching in protest against any attempt to take over the island. Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen reiterated that the tariff threats would not alter the island’s stance, while Minister Naaja Nathanielsen highlighted that the swift support from other nations underscores that “this is about more than Greenland.”

While Trump framed his Greenland approach as a matter of national security, claiming the US could protect the island from “modern Arctic threats,” European leaders, including Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, stressed resolution through dialogue and downplayed the risk of military action.

Trump’s move also sparked discussion about the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded last year to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, whom Trump accepted the medal from despite the prize’s independent administration. Trump insisted he “doesn’t care about the Nobel Prize” but framed it as a personal motivation for taking a harder stance on Greenland.

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The European Union, NATO, and key Nordic nations have emphasized collective security and readiness to resist coercion, while summits and discussions are planned to manage the escalating tensions. Analysts suggest that the tariffs could serve as a bargaining tool for Trump as he seeks leverage in negotiations over Arctic security and Greenland’s strategic position.

With Greenlanders protesting, European governments mobilizing diplomatically, and Trump openly linking geopolitics with personal recognition, the Arctic territory has become a focal point of transatlantic friction, drawing global attention to the high-stakes intersection of diplomacy, trade, and presidential ego.