Nobel prize not govt's call: Norway PM replies to Trump's Greenland threat

Norway's PM Jonas Gahr Store has clarified that the government plays no role in the Nobel Peace Prize, and decisions are made by an independent committee after Trump linked the snub to Greenland

Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store issued a fresh clarification after US President Donald Trump expressed resentment over not being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Store stressed that the Norwegian government has no authority over the decision.

 

In a video shared by Al Jazeera English, Store said he was “happy to repeat” a well-known fact: the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by an independent Norwegian committee and not by the government in Oslo.

 

“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,” Store said.

 

 

The remarks came after Trump’s message to Store circulated widely among Nato leaders and European diplomats, triggering political unease across the alliance.

Initial message and Trump’s blunt response

Store confirmed that Trump’s message was a reply to a text he had sent earlier the same day, jointly with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. The message urged de-escalation amid mounting tensions over Greenland, global security flashpoints and Washington’s tariff threats against European countries.

 

“We pointed to the need to de-escalate and proposed a telephone conversation,” Store said, adding that the US President's response arrived shortly after and that it was Trump’s decision to share it with other Nato leaders.

 

In his reply, Trump linked his frustration over the Nobel Peace Prize to a shift in how he views global diplomacy.

 

“Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize… I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace,” Trump wrote, according to the full exchange shared with The New York Times. 

Greenland at the centre of Trump’s message

Trump’s message then turned sharply towards Greenland, the semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark that he has repeatedly said the United States should acquire.

 

Questioning Denmark’s legal and historical claim, Trump argued that Copenhagen could not protect the territory from rival powers such as Russia and China. He framed US control of Greenland as essential to global security, asserting that “the World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland”.

 

Trump has also threatened to impose 10 per cent tariffs on the UK and European Union countries if they do not agree to sell Greenland to the US, a proposal flatly rejected by Denmark and EU leaders.

 

Norway backs Denmark amid rising concerns

Reiterating his stance, Store said Norway fully supports Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland and backs Nato’s role in ensuring Arctic security.

 

“Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter,” he said.

 

European leaders have expressed concern over the tone of Trump’s message, viewing it as another strain on transatlantic relations already under pressure from tariff threats and changing security priorities.