Morning opening: ‘I no longer feel obligation to think purely of peace’
Jakub Krupa
US president Donald Trump and senior members of his administration have repeatedly reiterated their determination to take control of Greenland overnight, just hours after the European leaders started frantically coordinating their response to the US move to impose tariffs on most vocal opponents of the plan.
Overnight, Trump said in a social media post:
“Nato has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that “you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland.” Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!! President Donald J. Trump”
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent also pursued a similar line, telling NBC broadcaster that “Europeans project weakness, US projects strength.”
“The president believes enhanced security is not possible without Greenland being part of the US,” he said.
In further escalation, he also appeared to link the future of Greenland with the continuation of the US support for Ukraine.
He said:
“The European leaders will come around. And they will understand that they need to be under the US security umbrella. What would happen in Ukraine if the US pulled its support out? The whole thing would collapse.”
The issue of Greenland’s future will continue to dominate the news agenda today, as the Europeans coordinate their next steps ahead of this week’s extraordinary EU summit, expected on Thursday. UK prime minister Keir Starmer is also expected to wade in, with a special emergency press conference convened for this morning.
Later today, the Danish and Greenlandic ministers will also meet with Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte, who has been one of Trump’s closest European partners.
But even being the extremely diplomatic (or sycophantic, if you ask his critics) and glass-half-full kind of person, the Dutchman couldn’t strike a particularly positive tone after his Sunday night call with Trump, saying in a terse readout that he “spoke with @POTUS regarding the security situation in Greenland and the Arctic. We will continue working on this, and I look forward to seeing him in Davos later this week.”
And yet…
Perhaps the most explosive revelation this morning comes from another direction, first reported by PBS journalist Nick Schifrin, and later widely reported in Europe.
Over the weekend, Trump sent a letter to Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre telling him that “considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace.”
(Norway doesn’t decide the Nobel Peace Prize, mind you. It’s an independent committee based in Oslo, not controlled by the Norwegian state.)
He added, magnanimously, “although [thinking about peace] will always be predominant, but [I] can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.”
Trump then doubled down on his threat against Denmark over Greenland, saying:
“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for Nato than any other person since its founding, and now, Nato should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT”
Amusingly, the Norwegian PM has confirmed the authenticity of the letter to VG newspaper, saying it came in a response to his and Finnish president Alexander Stubb’s earlier message to Trump.
It’s going to be a crazy day today, so brace. I will bring you all the latest here.
It’s Monday, 19 January 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Key events
Jakub Krupa
This press conference feels like Starmer trying to explain why the UK is not as hawkish as, say, France or Germany (9:56) in its response to Trump’s threats on Greenland.
He keeps stressing how interconnected the UK is with the US, from economic issues to intelligence and defence, and how it therefore makes it absolutely critical to put diplomacy ahead of everything else, at all costs.
The obvious question there, however, is: what if, now or further down the line, we discover that this approach simply doesn’t and won’t work?
Starmer doesn’t respond to questions if UK would retaliate with tariffs against US
In a hint of what the UK’s response could be, Starmer says “the tariffs should not be used against allies in this way in relation to the escalation.”
But, despite being pushed on this point twice now, he doesn’t say if the UK would retaliate or not if Trump followed through on his threat on tariffs.
There are a lot of words there about the need to offer a consistent response, but it’s genuinely not clear if that’s a yes or a no.
He says “tariffs are not in anybody’s interest” and that he wants to avoid it, but does not say what he would do if they were unavoidable as a result of Trump’s actions.
UK will be ‘pragmatic,’ but not ‘passive,’ Starmer says
Starmer also says that the UK’s view is to be pragmatic and not play to the audience or propose grandiose gestures, but to work behind the scenes to get to some sort of agreement.
He says:
“Britain is a pragmatic country. We look for agreement. We believe in partnership, we prefer solutions to slogans and we will not indulge in commentary and gesture politics that harm the British people. But being pragmatic does not mean being passive. A partnership does not mean abandoning principle. That is why it’s important to be clear about who we stand with, what we stand for, and where our interests lie.
…
There will always be people who reach for the performative, who think an angry social media post or grandstanding is a substitute for hard work. That’s an understandable instinct, but it’s not effective. It never has been. It may make politicians feel good, but it does nothing for working people whose jobs, livelihoods and security rely on the relationships that we build across the world.”
(Andrew Sparrow gives a bit more UK context on that here.)
Not entirely clear what all of this means in practice though – would the UK impose retaliating tariffs on the US, for example? – so expect him to get asked about it later.
There’s also a fairly nuanced explanation from Starmer on why he thinks all of that matters – should matter – to an average British person, as it affects their daily lives, as he proposes what he says “an active government” policy.
I’m sure Andrew Sparrow will pick up on what it means over on the UK blog.
In a nod to Trump’s efforts on Ukraine, Starmer says he recognises the US president’s role in pushing for ceasefire there – as he says “we will work closely with the United States, Ukraine and our other allies to apply pressure where it belongs: on Putin.”
Trump’s tariff threats ‘completely wrong,’ with trade war ‘in no one’s interest,’ Starmer says
In his strongest criticism of Trump yet, Starmer goes on to say:
“In recent decades, alliances endure because they’re built on respect and partnership, not pressure. That is why I said the use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong, nor is it helpful to frame efforts to strengthen Greenland security as a justification for economic pressure.”
He specifically says “such measures hurt British workers, British businesses and the British economy.”
A trade war is in no one’s interest, and my job is always to act in the UK’s national interest.
‘Any decision on Greenland belongs to people of Greenland and Denmark alone,’ Starmer says
Starmer has he “talks regularly” with Trump and his team has “daily” chats with senior people in the US administration.
But he says:
“Mature alliances are not about pretending differences don’t exist. They are about addressing them directly, respectfully, and with a focus on results.”
He says the security of Greenland matters and will matter more as climate change progresses.
But he says “there is a principle here that cannot be set aside” as he stresses “any decision about the future status of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone.”
Starmer warns about ‘markedly more turbulent’ times, but reiterates importance of US relationship
Starmer says the world has become “markedly more turbulent” in recent times, but he says it’s important to be clear about values guiding the UK through this period.
“Our values were not improvised. They were built patiently over time. And while we are pragmatic in how we pursue our interests, we are resolute in defending those values when it matters.”
But he opens with a positive tone on US relationship, as he says “the UK and the US are close allies and close partners,” and “that relationship matters profoundly, not just to our security, but to the prosperity and the stability that people here depend upon.”
This has not changed under Trump, he says.
UK’s Starmer gives press conference on Greenland – watch live
Greenland’s dogsled federation welcomes withdrawal of invitation for US envoy to attend its annual race
Meanwhile, Greenland’s dogsled federation said that the new US special envoy to the Arctic island had been disinvited to its annual race, as Washington repeatedly threatens to take over the autonomous Danish territory, AFP reported.
Jeff Landry had been invited to attend the race by a private Greenlandic tour operator, an invite the KNQK federation has previously called “totally inappropriate”.
“KNQK has been informed that the tourism company that invited Governor Jeff Landry from the United States has unilaterally withdrawn its invitation,” it wrote on Facebook overnight. “This is reassuring,” it added.
Landry said last week he was planning to come to Greenland in March.
Jakub Krupa
I will carry the key lines from UK prime minister Keir Starmer on Greenland here so you have everything in one place, but if you’re after a more detailed blow-by-blow coverage of his remarks, Andrew Sparrow will have this over on the UK live blog.
We will also have a live stream for you to watch along.
The prime minister is expected to be joined by his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, as she has apparently withdrawn from her appearance at the London Stock Exchange this morning, while UK stocks are falling, as Lauren Almeida is reporting over on the business blog.
Germany, France push back against Trump’s ‘blackmail’ on tariffs and Greenland
Meanwhile, a number of other European countries are giving their increasingly hardline responses to Trump’s threats on trade and Greenland.
Germany’s vice-chancellor Lars Klingbeil said this morning that “we will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed,” as he insisted that Europe would “respond with a united, clear response.
“We are now preparing countermeasures together with our European partners,” he said.
His French counterpart, Roland Lescure, said that he would convene an urgent meeting of his counterparts from the G7 grouping to discuss Trump’s latest comments, but reiterated that France was “fully supportive of Greenland and Denmark.”
“Blackmail between friends is obviously unacceptable,” he said.
Trump’s explosive letter came in response to request for phone call, Norwegian PM says
Throwing a bit more light on Trump’s unusual letter stating how he’s no longer “purely” interested in peace, Jonas Gahr Støre, the Norwegian prime minister, said the message came shortly after he and Finland’s Alexander Stubb sent a letter opposing the proposed tariffs on some European countries.
“We pointed out the need to de-escalate the exchange of words and requested a phone call between Trump, Stubb and me during the day,” he told VG newspaper.
But he noted that “the response from Trump came only shortly after we had sent the message,” and Trump then decided to share the letter with other Nato countries’ representatives, too.
Støre also reiterated his support for Denmark and Greenland, and stressed that the state of Norway has nothing to do with the Nobel Peace Prize award-giving process.
Separately, numerous experts that the Norwegian paper spoke with called the letter a blatant attempt to “blackmail” Europe, with one particularly amused commentator telling VG that “the stupidity is so great that you hardly know where to begin.”
Morning opening: ‘I no longer feel obligation to think purely of peace’
Jakub Krupa
US president Donald Trump and senior members of his administration have repeatedly reiterated their determination to take control of Greenland overnight, just hours after the European leaders started frantically coordinating their response to the US move to impose tariffs on most vocal opponents of the plan.
Overnight, Trump said in a social media post:
“Nato has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that “you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland.” Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!! President Donald J. Trump”
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent also pursued a similar line, telling NBC broadcaster that “Europeans project weakness, US projects strength.”
“The president believes enhanced security is not possible without Greenland being part of the US,” he said.
In further escalation, he also appeared to link the future of Greenland with the continuation of the US support for Ukraine.
He said:
“The European leaders will come around. And they will understand that they need to be under the US security umbrella. What would happen in Ukraine if the US pulled its support out? The whole thing would collapse.”
The issue of Greenland’s future will continue to dominate the news agenda today, as the Europeans coordinate their next steps ahead of this week’s extraordinary EU summit, expected on Thursday. UK prime minister Keir Starmer is also expected to wade in, with a special emergency press conference convened for this morning.
Later today, the Danish and Greenlandic ministers will also meet with Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte, who has been one of Trump’s closest European partners.
But even being the extremely diplomatic (or sycophantic, if you ask his critics) and glass-half-full kind of person, the Dutchman couldn’t strike a particularly positive tone after his Sunday night call with Trump, saying in a terse readout that he “spoke with @POTUS regarding the security situation in Greenland and the Arctic. We will continue working on this, and I look forward to seeing him in Davos later this week.”
And yet…
Perhaps the most explosive revelation this morning comes from another direction, first reported by PBS journalist Nick Schifrin, and later widely reported in Europe.
Over the weekend, Trump sent a letter to Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre telling him that “considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace.”
(Norway doesn’t decide the Nobel Peace Prize, mind you. It’s an independent committee based in Oslo, not controlled by the Norwegian state.)
He added, magnanimously, “although [thinking about peace] will always be predominant, but [I] can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.”
Trump then doubled down on his threat against Denmark over Greenland, saying:
“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for Nato than any other person since its founding, and now, Nato should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT”
Amusingly, the Norwegian PM has confirmed the authenticity of the letter to VG newspaper, saying it came in a response to his and Finnish president Alexander Stubb’s earlier message to Trump.
It’s going to be a crazy day today, so brace. I will bring you all the latest here.
It’s Monday, 19 January 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
