Trump links Greenland push to Nobel snub as EU readies response

U.S. President Donald Trump has linked his renewed push to take control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, as tensions with Europe mount and the European Union prepares possible retaliatory trade measures.

In comments reported by Reuters, Trump said he no longer felt obliged to think “purely of peace” after the Nobel Committee awarded the 2025 Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado rather than to him. The remarks came amid growing controversy over his insistence that the United States should gain “complete and total control” of Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory.

Trump declined to say whether he would use force to seize the Arctic island but reiterated threats to impose tariffs on several European countries if no agreement is reached. He has accused Denmark of being unable to protect Greenland from Russia or China, a claim rejected by Copenhagen and other European leaders.

The dispute has strained relations within NATO and raised fears of a renewed transatlantic trade war.

EU officials say Brussels is considering countermeasures, including tariffs on up to 93 billion euros ($108 billion) worth of U.S. imports, should Washington move ahead with its plans. EU leaders are expected to discuss their options at an emergency summit this week.

Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Greenland’s future must be decided by its own people, stressing that “you don’t trade people.”

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen echoed that stance, saying the territory would not be pressured and would stand by dialogue and international law.

The row has unsettled European markets and industry, with investors wary of a repeat of the volatility seen during previous trade disputes. Trump is expected to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, where several European leaders have indicated they will seek talks in an effort to defuse tensions.