Oslo. A heated war of words has erupted between US President Donald Trump and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Storey on the issue of Nobel Peace Prize and Greenland. The controversy started when Trump targeted the Norwegian government by sharing his old pain of not getting the Nobel Peace Prize. In response, Prime Minister Storey clarified that the decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize is not made by the Norwegian government, but by an independent committee and there is no government interference in it.
The background to this diplomatic dispute includes Trump’s ambition of US control over Greenland and the issue of proposed increase in tariffs (import duties) on European countries. According to Prime Minister Storey, recently he and Finnish President Alexander Stubb sent a joint message to Trump protesting US tariff policies. In response, Trump sent a text message which he later shared with other NATO leaders. In this message, Trump expressed his displeasure and said that since he did not receive the Nobel Prize, he no longer feels obliged for peace and wants complete control over Greenland. Responding to Trump’s attitude, Prime Minister Storey bluntly said that Greenland is part of Denmark and Norway fully stands with Denmark’s sovereign rights on this issue. He supported NATO’s efforts for security and stability in the Arctic region, but also called for doing it with responsibility and balance. Storey reiterated that President Trump should understand that the Nobel Committee is an autonomous body and the government does not have the authority to choose the prize winners.
In fact, this issue of Nobel Prize became heated again recently when Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado announced to dedicate her Nobel Peace Prize to Donald Trump. As soon as he received the medal, Trump’s old anger flared up and he put Norway in the list of tariff countries. Trump believes that despite the diplomatic efforts made during his previous tenure, he was deprived of this honor. The current situation is that Trump has not only threatened Norway with economic action, but has also created a new global controversy by linking his aggressive stance on the Greenland issue with the Nobel Peace Prize. Leaders of the Nordic countries have expressed concern over this behavior and are planning a strategy to collectively face American pressure in the coming times. At present, Trump’s tariffs and the Greenland bet have deepened the rift between the US and its traditional European allies.
