Trump links Greenland standoff with allies to perceived Nobel snub

America’s European allies stood united Monday against President Trump’s escalating campaign to take control of Greenland, accusing him of blackmail with a new threat of tariffs if they continue rejecting his bid for the U.S. to acquire the vast island. Mr. Trump, meanwhile, appeared to hint that he was still willing to use the U.S. military to achieve his objective.

In a message sent to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and shared with other NATO allies, Mr. Trump said that due to the decision to award someone other than himself the Nobel Peace Prize this year, he no longer feels “an obligation to think purely of Peace,” and that he “can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.”  

In the next sentence, Mr. Trump refers to his controversial demand that the U.S. take ownership of Greenland, which has been a territory of American ally Denmark for centuries. He renews his claim that only full U.S. control can prevent the strategic Arctic island from falling into the hands of China or Russia.

Trump’s claims about Greenland and U.S. security

America’s closest allies in NATO have rejected Mr. Trump’s argument, along with U.S. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, that the U.S. needs to own Greenland for security reasons.

They note that Greenland already falls under the transatlantic alliance’s protection as a Danish territory, that the U.S. has had at least one military base on the island since World War II and Denmark has given an open invitation for Washington to boost that defense presence in partnership with its allies.

Despite those facts, and efforts by Denmark and other European NATO members to show an understanding of and willingness to address rising competition over control of vital new shipping lanes around the resource-rich island, Mr. Trump claims again in his message to Norway’s leader that “the World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland.”

He argues that Denmark is incapable of securing the Arctic territory in the face of Russian and Chinese threats — threats that Senator Mark Warner, the Democratic vice chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, called fictitious over the weekend.

“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China,” Mr. Trump wrote, ignoring the fact that, for almost 80 years, since the U.S. and its European allies committed to the principle of joint security with NATO’s founding treaty, Greenland’s protection has been a shared responsibility.

Mr. Trump questions in the note, as he’s done previously, Denmark’s right to any claim over Greenland, arguing that the basis is only that “a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also.”

Denmark became the colonial power in Greenland in the early 18th century, about 50 years before the United States became a sovereign nation with its own navy. Greenland remained a Danish colony until 1953, when the island gained its current semi-autonomy. 

Though the population is tiny at around 60,000 people, Greenland has its own elected government, and both the island’s leaders and the Greenlandic people have made it abundantly clear that they do not want to become part of the U.S.

Norway’s leader responds to Trump’s message

The Norwegian government shared a statement on Monday from Prime Minister Støre in which he confirms that he received Mr. Trump’s message on Sunday afternoon.

He said it came in response to a text message he’d sent along with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb. 

“In our message to Trump we conveyed our opposition to his announced tariff increases against Norway, Finland and select other countries. We pointed to the need to de-escalate and proposed a telephone conversation between Trump, Stubb and myself on the same day. The response from Trump came shortly after the message was sent,” Støre said in the statement, adding that it was Mr. Trump’s “decision to share his message with other NATO leaders.”

“Norway’s position on Greenland is clear. Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter. We also support that NATO in a responsible way is taking steps to strengthen security and stability in the Arctic,” said Støre. 

He added, “As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, 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.”

U.K. leader doubts Trump will use U.S. military to take Greenland

Mr. Trump stunned America’s NATO allies over the weekend by threatening to impose new tariffs on Denmark and seven other European nations if they continue to reject his demands to take over Greenland.

After holding talks among themselves on Sunday, the eight countries issued a joint statement saying they were “committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest,” while reiterating their support for Denmark and Greenland.

They said they were “ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind,” and warned that threats of tariffs undermine “transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has maintained good relations with Mr. Trump and spoke with him on the phone Sunday, acknowledged in televised remarks on Monday morning that the Arctic region “will require greater attention, greater investment and stronger collective defense” and said the U.S. would “be central to that effort and the U.K. stands ready to contribute fully alongside our allies, through NATO.”

“But there is a principle here that cannot be set aside, because it goes to the heart of how stable and trusted international cooperation works, and so any decision about the future status of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone,” said Starmer.

“Denmark is a close ally of the U.K. and of the U.S. — a proud NATO member that has stood shoulder to shoulder with us, including at real human cost in recent decades,” Starmer said, alluding to Danish troops fighting alongside U.S. and British forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, as part of the NATO alliance.

“Alliances endure because they’re built on respect and partnership, not pressure. That is why I said the use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong. It is not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance, nor is it helpful to frame efforts to strengthen Greenland’s security as a justification for economic pressure,” he said. “A trade war is in no one’s interest.”

As for Mr. Trump not ruling out the use of the American military to seize territory from a NATO ally, Starmer said he didn’t believe it would come to that. 

“I don’t, actually,” he said. “I think this can and should be resolved through calm discussion, but with the application of principles I’ve set out in terms of who decides the future of Greenland.”