The full text of a private text message exchange that prompted former US President Donald Trump to threaten military action in Greenland has been released, revealing a direct link to his anger over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Text Exchange That Lit the Fuse
On Monday 19 January 2026, under Norway's freedom of information laws, the full correspondence between Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and President Trump was made public. The exchange began on 18 January at 1448 GMT, when Stoere, writing also on behalf of Finnish President Alexander Stubb, sent a message urging de-escalation on several fronts.
The Prime Minister's text addressed "the contact across the Atlantic" concerning Greenland, Gaza, Ukraine, and recent tariff announcements. "We believe we all should work to take this down and de-escalate," Stoere wrote, proposing a call to discuss the matters.
Trump's Explosive Response
President Trump's reply, sent just 27 minutes later at 1515 GMT, laid bare his grievances. He directly connected his foreign policy shift to Norway's decision regarding the Nobel Peace Prize. "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 stated.
He argued this allowed him to prioritise US interests, specifically the strategic control of Greenland. Questioning Denmark's sovereignty, he claimed, "There are no written documents, it's only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago." Trump demanded that NATO, which he said he had done more for than anyone, should now assist the United States in securing "Complete and Total Control of Greenland" for world security.
European Solidarity and Diplomatic Fallout
The release of the texts came after a swift show of unity from European allies. On Sunday, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Britain issued a joint statement reaffirming their solidarity with Denmark and Greenland. They labelled Trump's tariff threats as undermining transatlantic relations and risking a "dangerous downward spiral."
In response to the controversy, Prime Minister Stoere clarified on Monday that he had repeatedly explained to President Trump that the Nobel Prize is awarded by an independent committee, not the Norwegian government. This followed a ceremony where the 2025 laureate, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, presented her medal to Trump at the White House.
The independent Nobel Foundation was forced to reiterate that a prize cannot be transferred, even symbolically. The Norwegian Nobel Committee stated unequivocally: "Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time."
The incident marks a significant escalation in tensions between the Trump administration and its European NATO partners, centring on Arctic security and the very foundations of diplomatic engagement.
