Former US President Donald Trump has directly connected his repeated threats to seize control of Greenland to his failure to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, according to an extraordinary letter sent to the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre.
Nobel Prize Snub Fuels Aggressive Stance
The authenticity of the letter was confirmed by Prime Minister Støre to the Norwegian newspaper VG on Monday. In it, Trump stated that after missing out on the prestigious award, he no longer felt compelled to think "purely of peace".
"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. He added that this freed him to "think about what is good and proper" for the United States.
In a written response, Støre stressed that the Nobel Peace Prize is not awarded by the Norwegian government. "I have clearly explained, including to president Trump what is well known – the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel committee," he stated.
European Tensions and Tariff Threats
Over the weekend, Trump escalated matters by threatening to impose a 10% tariff on imports from several European nations, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, and the UK. He stated these tariffs would begin on 1 February and remain until the US was allowed to purchase the Arctic island of Greenland.
The European Union is now considering its response, weighing up potential retaliatory tariffs on US goods and even the use of severe economic sanctions. European leaders have united in criticising Trump's threat, with one minister describing the move as "blackmail".
Pentagon Prepares Troops for Domestic Deployment
In a separate development, the Pentagon has placed approximately 1,500 active-duty soldiers stationed in Alaska on prepare-to-deploy orders. US officials confirmed this was for a potential mission to Minnesota, where large protests have occurred against a government immigration deportation drive.
The army units were readied in case violence escalated, though it was unclear if any would ultimately be sent. This move follows Trump's threat to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces if Democratic officials in Minnesota do not stop protesters from impeding immigration officials.
Jacob Frey, the Mayor of Minneapolis, responded on Sunday, calling any military deployment "ridiculous" and warning it would exacerbate tensions in the city.
Spain Mourns After Fatal Train Collision
In international news, at least 39 people have been killed and 12 are in intensive care after two trains collided in southern Spain on Sunday night. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described it as "a night of deep pain for our country".
The accident occurred near Adamuz in Córdoba province when a high-speed Iryo train derailed and crossed onto the opposite track, colliding with an oncoming train operated by the state rail company. Approximately 300 people were onboard at the time.
Emergency services in Andalucía confirmed that 122 people were treated for injuries, with 48 still hospitalised.
In other news:
- Oxfam's annual inequality report revealed a record number of billionaires were created last year, amassing a collective wealth of $18.3tn.
- Scientists warn of a potential "regime shift" in the oceans due to rapid seaweed growth driven by global heating and pollution.
- Never-before-seen home video from May 1950 has emerged, believed to be the earliest known film footage of a young Martin Luther King Jr.
