Trump escalated the standoff in Greenland with allies, linking it to the snubbing of the Nobel Peace Prize

America’s European allies stood united Monday against President Trump’s escalating campaign to seize Greenland. She accused him of blackmail with the new threat of tariffs If they continue to reject his attempted US acquisition of the vast island. At the same time, Trump seemed to hint that he was still willing to use the US military to achieve his goal.

In a letter sent to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Jahr Sture and shared with other NATO allies, Mr. Trump said that because of the decision Someone other than him awarded the Nobel Peace Prize This year, he no longer feels “the duty to think only about peace.” And he “can now think about what is good and appropriate for the United States of America.”

In the next sentence, Mr. Trump refers to his controversial demand that the United States take ownership of Greenland, which has been a territory of Denmark, a US ally, for centuries. He renews his claim that only complete American control can prevent this Strategic Arctic Island From falling into the hands of China or Russia.

Trump’s claims about Greenland and US security

America’s closest NATO allies rejected Mr. Trump’s argument, along with American lawmakers from… Both sides of the aisleThe United States needs to own Greenland for security reasons.

They point out that Greenland is already under the protection of the trans-Atlantic alliance as a Danish territory, and that the United States has had at least one military base on the island since World War II, and Denmark has issued an open invitation to Washington to strengthen this defense presence in partnership with its allies.

Despite these facts, efforts by Denmark and other European NATO members to demonstrate understanding and willingness to address growing competition Controlling new vital shipping lanes Regarding the resource-rich island, Mr. Trump again claims in his letter to the Norwegian leader that “the world is not safe unless we have full and complete control over Greenland.”

He argues that Denmark is unable to secure the Arctic territories in the face of Russian and Chinese threats, threats that Senator Mark Warner, Vice Chairman of the US Senate Intelligence Committee, a Democrat, said. It’s called fake During the weekend.

“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China,” Trump wrote, ignoring the fact that for nearly 80 years, since the United States and its European allies committed to the principle of mutual security in NATO’s founding treaty, protecting Greenland has been a shared responsibility.

In the memo, Mr. Trump questions, as he has 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’ve had boats land there, too.”

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.

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

Norway’s leader responds to Trump’s message

Norwegian government A statement was shared on Monday from Prime Minister Storr confirming that he had received Mr Trump’s letter on Sunday afternoon.

He said this came in response to a text message he sent with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

“In our letter to Trump, we conveyed our opposition to the tariff increases announced against Norway, Finland, and selected other countries. We noted the need for de-escalation and proposed a phone conversation between Trump, Stapp, and me on the same day. Trump’s response came shortly after the letter was sent,” Storr 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 part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark in this matter. We also support that NATO is taking responsibly steps to strengthen security and stability in the Arctic,” Storr said.

He added: “With regard to the Nobel Peace Prize, I have made clear clearly, including to President Trump, what is known, that the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee and not the Norwegian government.”

The UK leader doubts that Trump will use the US military to take control of Greenland

Mr. Trump surprised America’s NATO allies over the weekend And the threat of imposing new customs duties On Denmark and seven other European countries if they continue to refuse his demands to seize Greenland.

After holding talks on Sunday, the eight countries issued a joint statement in which they said they were “committed to strengthening Arctic security as a common transatlantic interest,” while reaffirming their support for Denmark and Greenland.

They said they were “ready to engage in dialogue on the basis of the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we strongly support,” and warned that threats of tariffs undermined “transatlantic relations and risk a serious deterioration.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has maintained good relations with Trump and spoke with him by phone on 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 United States “will be central to this effort and the United Kingdom stands ready to contribute fully alongside our allies, through NATO.”

“But there is a principle here that cannot be set aside, because it is at the heart of how stable and reliable international cooperation works, so any decision on the future status of Greenland rests with the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone,” Starmer said.

“Denmark is a close ally of the UK and the US – a proud member of NATO that has stood shoulder to shoulder with us, including at the real human cost in recent decades,” Starmer said, referring to Danish forces fighting alongside US and British forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, as part of NATO.

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

As for Trump not ruling out the use of the US military to seize territory from a NATO ally, Starmer said he did not believe the matter would come to that point.

“I don’t actually do that,” he said. He added: “I believe this can and should be resolved through calm discussion, but applying the principles I have set out regarding who will decide Greenland’s future.”