Revealed: The message Norwegian PM sent Trump that sparked president's outburst saying Nobel Peace Prize snub justified Greenland land-grab
The full message the Norwegian prime minister sent to Donald Trump, which sparked the President's outburst about not winning the Nobel Peace Prize, has been revealed.
On Sunday, following Trump's announcement that he would impose new tariffs on EU countries if they stood in his way to take over Greenland, Jonas Gahr Store wrote a letter to the US President.
A day before, Trump had announced that a 10 per cent tariff on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland would come into force on February 1, but could later rise to 25 per cent.
'Dear Mr president, dear Donald - on the contact across the Atlantic - on Greenland, Gaza, Ukraine - and your tariff announcement yesterday,' Store said.
'You know our position on these issues. But we believe we should all work to take this down and de-escalate – so much is happening around us where we need to stand together.
'We are proposing a call with you later today – with both of us or separately – give us a hint of what you prefer! Best - Alex and Jonas,' the message concluded.
'Alex' is short for Alexander Stubb, the president of Finland. Conservative Mr Stubb is seen as an ally to Trump in Europe, and, away from politics, both men have a passion for golf and have played a round together.
Trump's controversial response, which arrived less than 30 minutes later by text, warned that the US 'no longer feels an obligation to think purely of peace', because he was denied the Nobel Peace Prize in October last year, blaming the Norwegian government for the decision.
'I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now NATO should do something for the United States,' he added.
The full message Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store sent to Donald Trump over the weekend has been revealed
On Saturday, Trump announced that he would impose new tariffs on EU countries if they stood in his way to take over Greenland
A protest against Trump in front of the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, on Saturday
'Dear Jonas: Since your country decided not to award me the Nobel Peace Prize for stopping eight wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think exclusively about peace, although it will always be dominant, but can now think about what is good and right for the United States,' Trump added.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee annoyed the US leader by awarding the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado instead of him.
Last week, she gave her medal to Trump during a White House meeting, though the Nobel Committee said the prize cannot be transferred, shared or revoked.
In his message, Trump also repeated his accusation that Denmark cannot protect Greenland from Russia or China.
'And why do they have a "right of ownership" anyway?' he wrote.
'There are no written documents, it's just that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we also had boats landing there.
'The world is not safe unless we have complete and total control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT.'
Such was the panic the letter and its language caused this morning, there were concerns that it might be fake.
But Norwegian leader Store confirmed it was genuine.
He told VG: 'I can confirm that this is a message I received yesterday afternoon from President Trump'.
He added: 'Regarding the Nobel Peace Prize, I have repeatedly clearly explained to Trump what is well known, namely that it is an independent Nobel Committee, and not the Norwegian government, that awards the prize'.
Asked about what she thought of the letter, Guhild Hoogensen Gjorv, professor of security at the Arctic University of Norway, called it 'blackmail'.
She said: 'He is convinced that he can gag European countries. He is willing to carry out blackmail against them. That is why it is more important than ever that Norway and Europe stand together.'
Trump has intensified his push to wrest sovereignty over Greenland from fellow NATO member Denmark, threatening punitive tariffs on countries that stand in his way and prompting the EU to weigh retaliatory measures.
The dispute is threatening to upend the NATO alliance that has underpinned Western security for decades and which was already under strain over the war in Ukraine and Trump's refusal to protect allies which do not spend enough on defence.
It has also plunged trade relations between the EU and the US, the bloc's biggest export market, into renewed uncertainty after the two sides painstakingly reached a trade deal last year in response to Trump's punishing tariffs.
Trump warns Denmark a deal for Greenland 'will be done'
Sir Keir Starmer delivered an address to the British public earlier today, in which he hit out at Trump's 'completely wrong' trade threats
Taking to Truth Social today, Trump said NATO had been telling Denmark for 20 years that 'you have got to get the Russian threat away from Greenland'.
'Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!' he warned.
His remarks came hours before British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer delivered an address to the nation in which he hit out at Trump's 'completely wrong' trade threats.
When pressed on whether the UK would consider retaliatory tariffs, he said a trade war was in 'nobody's interest' and insisted that the two countries were 'close allies and close partners', whose relationship 'matters profoundly'.
Despite highlighting the importance of UK-US relations, Sir Keir made it clear he disagreed with Trump's plans to take over the territory.
Any decision about the future status of Greenland 'belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone', he said.
'That right is fundamental, and we will support it.'
He stopped short of saying King Charles should not take part in an upcoming state visit to the US scheduled for April, despite pressure from other British politicians.
'The civilised world can deal with Trump no longer. He is a gangster pirate,' senior Tory Simon Hoare previously said.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said he supported calls for the King to cancel the state visit, insisting: 'We've got to stand up to Donald Trump.'
European leaders will convene in Brussels on Thursday for an emergency summit following Trump's threats to impose new tariffs on several EU countries over his demand to acquire Greenland, an EU spokesman said on Monday.
The summit is planned to start at 6.00pm UK time (1pm ET).
Danish soldiers take part in live-fire training after their arrival in Greenland on January 18
The Danish military is working to intensify its activities in and around Greenland in close cooperation with its Nato allies, amid threats by US President Trump
As the deepening crisis threatens the future of NATO, European leaders are considering deploying their so-called trade 'bazooka' for the first time in retaliation, an economic tool that would hit the US with £81billion in tariffs.
The 'big bazooka' is an anti-coercion instrument adopted in 2023 to combat political blackmail.
It allows the EU to restrict countries from participating in public tenders, limit trade licences and shut off access to the single market.
Lars Klingbeil, Germany’s vice chancellor, called on his allies to ensure the 'bazooka' is ready to strike back at Washington if Trump presses ahead with his threats of increased tariffs.
'There is a legally established European toolbox for responding to economic blackmail with very sensitive measures. And we should now consider using these measures,' Klingbeil said in Berlin.
Danish defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Greenlandic foreign affairs minister Vivian Motzfeldt are due to meet on Monday alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
It comes after the Danish and Greenlandic governments, together with NATO allies, decided last week to increase military presence and exercise activity in the Arctic and the North Atlantic.
Several European countries sent small numbers of troops to Greenland as part of a so-called reconnaissance mission.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump during a White House meeting last week
The White House said the Nobel Foundation has repeatedly mentioned Trump in recent days, without recognising his 'unprecedented accomplishments'.
Steven Cheung, the White House director of communications, blasted the Nobel Foundation after Trump accepted the prestigious Peace Prize from Venezuelan opposition leader Machado.
Cheung accused the foundation of playing politics instead of acknowledging the President's efforts to end wars.
'The Nobel Foundation has now issued multiple statements/comments on President Trump (who rightfully deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for bringing peace to at least eight wars),' Cheung wrote Sunday on X.
'Instead of trying to play politics, they should highlight the president's unprecedented accomplishments.'
Cheung's rebuke came hours after the Nobel Foundation issued its own carefully worded public clarification, stressing that Nobel Prizes cannot be transferred - even symbolically.
The statement followed last week's high-profile Oval Office meeting involving Trump and Machado.
'One of the core missions of the Nobel Foundation is to safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration. The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel's will and its stipulations,' the foundation wrote in a statement.
'It states that the prizes shall be awarded to those who "have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind," and it specifies who has the right to award each respective prize.
'A prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed.'
