Donald Trump has linked his repeated threats to seize control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel peace prize, as transatlantic tensions over the Arctic island escalated further and threatened to rekindle a trade war with the EU. Trump campaigned hard to win last year’s prize, which was awarded to María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader. In his text message to Støre, Trump said Denmark “cannot protect” Greenland from Russia or China, adding: “Why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway? The world was “not secure unless we have Complete and Total control of Greenland”, he said. The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, said he was working closely with EU leaders and called for calm discussion between allies.

Source: The Guardian January 19, 2026 20:29 UTC