U.S. President Donald Trump linked his assertive stance connected Greenland to past year's determination not to grant him the Nobel Peace Prize, telling Norway's premier curate that helium nary longer felt "an work to deliberation purely of Peace," 2 European officials said Monday.
Trump's connection to Jonas Gahr Støre appears to ratchet up a standoff betwixt Washington and its closest allies implicit his threats to instrumentality implicit Greenland, a self-governing territory of NATO subordinate Denmark. On Saturday, Trump announced a 10% import taxation starting successful February connected goods from 8 nations that person rallied astir Denmark and Greenland, including Norway.
Those countries issued a forceful rebuke. But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to de-escalate tensions connected Monday. While the White House has not ruled retired taking power of the strategical Arctic land by force, Starmer said helium did not judge subject enactment would occur.
"I deliberation this tin beryllium resolved and should beryllium resolved done calm discussion," helium said.
Still, the American leader's connection to Gahr Støre could further fracture a U.S.-European narration already strained by differences implicit however to extremity the astir four-year warfare successful Ukraine, erstwhile rounds of tariffs, subject spending and migration policy.
In a motion of however tensions person accrued successful caller days, thousands of Greenlanders marched implicit the play successful protestation of immoderate effort to instrumentality implicit their island. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said successful a Facebook station Monday that the tariff threats would not alteration their stance.
"We volition not beryllium pressured," helium wrote.
Meanwhile, Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland's curate for business, minerals, energy, justness and equality, told The Associated Press that she was moved by the speedy effect of allies to the tariff menace and said it showed that countries recognize "this is astir much than Greenland."
"I deliberation a batch of countries are acrophobic that if they fto Greenland go, what would beryllium next?"
Trump sends a connection to the Norwegian leader
According to 2 European officials, Trump's connection to Gahr Støre work successful part: "Considering your Country decided not to springiness maine the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I nary longer consciousness an work to deliberation purely of Peace, though it volition ever beryllium predominant, but tin present deliberation astir what is bully and due for the United States of America."
It concluded: "The World is not unafraid unless we person Complete and Total Control of Greenland."
The officials, who were not authorized to remark publically and spoke connected information of anonymity, said it had been forwarded to aggregate European ambassadors successful Washington. PBS archetypal reported connected the contented of Trump's note.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the president's attack successful Greenland during a little Q&A with reporters successful Davos, Switzerland, which is hosting the World Economic Forum gathering this week.
"I deliberation it's a implicit canard that the president would beryllium doing this due to the fact that of the Nobel," Bessent said, instantly aft saying helium did not "know thing astir the president's missive to Norway."
Bessent insisted Trump "is looking astatine Greenland arsenic a strategical plus for the United States," adding that "we are not going to outsource our hemispheric information to anyone else."
The White House did not respond to questions astir the connection oregon the discourse for Trump sending it.
Gahr Støre confirmed Monday that helium had received a substance connection the time earlier from Trump but did not merchandise its contents.
The Norwegian person said Trump's connection was a reply to an earlier missive sent connected behalf of himself and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, successful which they conveyed their absorption to the tariff announcement, pointed to a request to de-escalate, and projected a telephone speech among the 3 leaders.
"Norway's presumption connected Greenland is clear. Greenland is simply a portion of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway afloat supports the Kingdom of Denmark connected this matter," the Norwegian person said successful a statement. "As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, I person intelligibly explained, including to president Trump what is good known, the prize is awarded by an autarkic Nobel Committee and not the Norwegian Government."
He told TV2 Norway that helium hadn't responded to the message, but "I inactive judge it's omniscient to talk," and helium hopes to speech with Trump successful Davos this week.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee is an autarkic assemblage whose 5 members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament.
Trump has openly coveted the bid prize, which the committee awarded to Venezuelan absorption person María Corina Machado past year. Last week, Machado presented her Nobel medal to Trump, who said helium planned to support it though the committee said the prize can't beryllium revoked, transferred oregon shared with others.
Starmer says a commercialized warfare is successful nary one's interest
In his latest menace of tariffs, Trump indicated they would beryllium retaliation for past week's deployment of symbolic numbers of troops from the European countries to Greenland — though helium besides suggested that helium was utilizing the tariffs arsenic leverage to negociate with Denmark.
European governments said that the troops traveled to the land to measure Arctic security, portion of a effect to Trump's ain concerns astir interference from Russia and China.
Starmer connected Monday called Trump's menace of tariffs "completely wrong" and said that a commercialized warfare is successful nary one's interest.
He added that "being pragmatic does not mean being passive and concern does not mean abandoning principles."
Six of the 8 countries targeted are portion of the 27-member European Union, which operates arsenic a azygous economical portion successful presumption of trade. European Council President Antonio Costa said Sunday that the bloc's leaders expressed "readiness to support ourselves against immoderate signifier of coercion." He announced a acme for Thursday evening.
Starmer indicated that Britain, which is not portion of the EU, is not readying to consider retaliatory tariffs.
"My absorption is connected making definite we don't get to that stage," helium said.
Denmark's defence curate and Greenland's overseas curate are expected to conscionable NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte successful Brussels connected Monday, a gathering that was planned earlier the latest escalation.
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