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By GEIR MOULSON and JILL LAWLESS Related Press
Norway’s prime minister mentioned Monday that he obtained a message from U.S. President Donald Trump about rising tensions over Greenland during which the American chief reportedly mentioned he now not felt obligated to assume purely of peace since he didn’t obtain the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump’s message to Jonas Gahr Støre, first reported by PBS, seems to ratchet up a standoff between Washington and its closest allies over his threats to take over Greenland, a self-governing territory of NATO member Denmark. To pressure European nations which have rallied round Denmark and Greenland towards talks, Trump on Saturday introduced a ten% import tax beginning in February on items from eight nations, together with Norway.
These nations issued a forceful rebuke. However British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to de-escalate tensions on Monday. Whereas the White Home has not dominated taking management of the strategic Arctic island by pressure, Starmer mentioned he didn’t consider navy motion would happen.
“I believe this may be resolved and needs to be resolved by means of calm dialogue,” he mentioned.
Nonetheless, the American chief’s message to Gahr Støre might additional fracture a U.S.-European relationship already strained by variations over how one can finish the almost four-year warfare in Ukraine, earlier rounds of tariffs, navy spending and migration coverage.
In an indication of how tensions have elevated in latest days, 1000’s of Greenlanders marched over the weekend in protest of any effort to take over their island. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen mentioned in a Fb publish Monday that the tariff threats wouldn’t change the their stance.
“We is not going to be pressured,” he wrote. “We stand agency on dialogue, on respect, and on worldwide regulation.”
Trump sends a message to the Norwegian chief
In a publish on social media, PBS reported that Trump mentioned in a message to Gahr Støre: “Contemplating your Nation determined to not give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I now not really feel an obligation to assume purely of Peace, though it’ll all the time be predominant, however can now take into consideration what is nice and correct for the US of America.”
It concluded: “The World will not be safe except we have now Full and Complete Management of Greenland.”
PBS mentioned the message had been forwarded to a number of European ambassadors in Washington.
Gahr Støre confirmed Monday that he had obtained a textual content message from Trump however didn’t launch its contents. The White Home didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Gahr Støre mentioned Trump’s message was a reply to an earlier missive despatched on behalf of himself and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, during which they conveyed their opposition to the tariff announcement, pointed to a have to de-escalate, and proposed a phone dialog among the many three leaders.
“Norway’s place on Greenland is obvious. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway totally helps the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter,” Støre mentioned. “As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, I’ve clearly defined, together with to president Trump what’s well-known, the prize is awarded by an unbiased Nobel Committee and never the Norwegian Authorities.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee is an unbiased physique whose 5 members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament.
Trump has brazenly coveted the peace prize, which the committee awarded to Venezuelan opposition chief María Corina Machado final yr. Final week, Machado introduced her Nobel medal to Trump, who mentioned he deliberate to maintain it although the committee mentioned the prize can’t be revoked, transferred or shared with others.
Starmer says a commerce warfare is in nobody’s curiosity
In his newest menace of tariffs, Trump indicated they’d be retaliation for final week’s deployment of symbolic numbers of troops from the European nations to Greenland — although he additionally advised that he was utilizing the tariffs as leverage to barter with Denmark.
European governments mentioned that the troops traveled to the island for Arctic safety coaching in response to Trump’s personal issues about interference from Russia and China.
Starmer on Monday referred to as Trump’s menace of tariffs “fully mistaken” and mentioned {that a} commerce warfare is in nobody’s curiosity.
He added that “being pragmatic doesn’t imply being passive and partnership doesn’t imply abandoning rules.”
Six of the eight nations focused are a part of the 27-member European Union, which operates as a single financial zone when it comes to commerce. European Council President Antonio Costa mentioned Sunday that the bloc’s leaders expressed “readiness to defend ourselves in opposition to any type of coercion.” He’s anticipated to convene a summit later this week.
Starmer indicated that Britain, which isn’t a part of the EU, will not be planning to think about retaliatory tariffs.
“My focus is on ensuring we don’t get to that stage,” he mentioned.
Denmark’s protection minister and Greenland’s overseas minister are anticipated to fulfill NATO Secretary-Basic Mark Rutte in Brussels on Monday, a gathering that was deliberate earlier than the most recent escalation.
Related Press author Josh Boak in West Palm Seashore, Florida, contributed to this report.
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