President Donald Trump has told Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre that he no longer feels any ‘obligation to think purely of peace’ after failing to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
The letter, obtained by PBS News correspondent Nick Schifrin and seen by other members of the press, was forwarded to multiple European ambassadors in Washington by National Security Council staff.
‘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 wrote. Peace would ‘always be predominant,’ he added, but he could ‘now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.’
The message landed two days after Trump slapped tariffs on eight European nations over Greenland.
NEW: @potus letter to @jonasgahrstore links @NobelPrize to Greenland, reiterates threats, and is forwarded by the NSC staff to multiple European ambassadors in Washington. I obtained the text from multiple officials:
Dear Ambassador:
President Trump has asked that the…
— Nick Schifrin (@nickschifrin) January 19, 2026
Støre Has Explained This Before
The Norwegian PM reminded Trump of something he has apparently told him ‘several times’ before. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by an independent committee, not the Norwegian government, Støre said in comments reported by Bloomberg.
‘Regarding the Nobel Peace Prize, I have several times clearly explained to Trump what is well known,’ Støre said.
‘Why Do They Have a Right of Ownership Anyway?’
Trump went further in the letter, questioning Denmark’s very claim to Greenland.
‘Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway?’ he wrote, The Japan Times reported. ‘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 claimed to have ‘done more for NATO than any other person since its founding’ and demanded the alliance ‘do something for the United States.’ His final line: ‘The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland.’
Tariffs Already Announced
On Saturday, Trump announced that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would face 10 per cent tariffs from 1 February. That rises to 25 per cent on 1 June ‘until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,’ NPR reported.
The eight nations hit back with a joint statement, warning that the threats ‘undermine transatlantic relations’ and risk ‘a dangerous downward spiral.’
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was blunt: ‘Europe will not be blackmailed.’
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Trump in a Sunday call that ‘applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong,’ Downing Street confirmed. EU ambassadors scrambled into an emergency Brussels meeting to coordinate a response.
The Medal He Already Has
The #NobelPeacePrize medal.
It measures 6.6 cm in diameter, weighs 196 grams and is struck in gold. On its face, a portrait of Alfred Nobel and on its reverse, three naked men holding around each other’s shoulders as a sign of brotherhood. A design unchanged for 120 years.
Did… pic.twitter.com/Jdjgf3Ud2A
— Nobel Peace Center (@NobelPeaceOslo) January 15, 2026
The letter comes days after Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado handed Trump her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize medal during a White House meeting. The Norwegian Nobel Committee quickly clarified that the honour itself cannot be transferred.
‘A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot,’ the committee stated, CNN reported.
Trump has repeatedly said he deserves the award. He recently called it an ’embarrassment’ to Norway that he hasn’t won one. Several world leaders have formally nominated him for the 2026 prize.
Former Norwegian ambassador to the US Kåre Aas suggested recent moves haven’t helped. ‘Annexing Greenland and threatening European countries doesn’t at all strengthen President Trump’s chances to get the award,’ he told NBC News.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
