U.S. President Donald Trump has asserted that his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize has influenced his foreign policy outlook, saying he no longer feels bound to “think purely of peace” — remarks made in a message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre that also referenced his controversial Greenland ambitions.
In the message, which was shared with Norway’s government and diplomatic contacts, Trump linked his disappointment over not receiving the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to a broader shift in emphasis toward what he considers U.S. national interests. He wrote that because Norway “decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS,” he now feels free to focus on “what is good and proper for the United States of America.” The communication also stated that “the world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland.”
Norwegian and European officials confirmed they received the message from Trump on January 18, 2026, after Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb contacted him to voice concerns over proposed U.S. tariffs tied to recent tensions over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. In response, Norway’s prime minister reiterated that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by an independent committee, not the Norwegian government, and that Norway fully supports Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland.
Trump’s comment reflects an ongoing dispute with European allies over his administration’s foreign policy priorities and its pursuit of strategic interests in the Arctic. The president’s reference to peace and the Nobel Prize comes amid broader diplomatic friction including tariff threats and disagreements over NATO deployments.
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado for her leadership in advocating democracy amid political repression; the Norwegian Nobel Committee has emphasised that awards are independent and cannot be granted or revoked by governments.