Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre confirmed on Monday that he had received a message from US President Donald Trump over the weekend, stating that he was no longer interested "purely" in peace due to not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Politico reports, writes UNN.
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"Given that your country chose not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for stopping 8 wars PLUS, I no longer feel obligated to think exclusively about peace, although it will always dominate, but now I can think about what is good and right for the United States of America," Trump wrote on Sunday, adding that he seeks "complete and total control over Greenland."
Støre told the Norwegian publication VG that Trump's message, first reported by PBS, was a response to "a brief message to President Trump from me earlier that day on my behalf and on behalf of Finnish President Alexander Stubb," in which both Scandinavian prime ministers called for de-escalation of tensions and demanded a trilateral phone call.
The Norwegian government does not award the prize; it is awarded by an independent committee.
The American president's statement that he is no longer fixated on playing the peacemaker comes amid his increasingly aggressive saber-rattling over Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, which he has vowed to seize for the US, the publication writes.
Over the weekend, Trump announced that he would impose punitive tariffs on European countries that oppose his plans to annex Greenland starting February 1, leading European Council President António Costa to convene an emergency summit of EU leaders this week.
EU leaders to hold emergency summit on Greenland on Thursday19.01.26, 20:59
Trump actively campaigned for the Nobel Prize, which former US President Barack Obama won in 2009, and repeatedly claimed to have ended at least eight conflicts.
The award ultimately went to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who presented her medal to Trump last week, although the Nobel Committee subsequently issued a statement that while the physical medal can change hands, the actual award is non-transferable.
Trump did receive the Nobel Peace Medal, symbolically presented by Machado16.01.26, 00:04