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US President Donald Trump is angry about the Nobel Peace Prize snub. In a letter addressed to the Norwegian prime minister, Trump said he no longer has an obligation to pursue peace as he was ignored for the Nobel Peace Prize. Bloomberg accessed the letter, in which he argued that the prize is awarded by a five-member committee elected by the Norwegian parliament, and reiterated his desire to seize Greenland, citing that Denmark cannot protect the land from Russia or China. He alleged that Denmark does not have written documents proving its ownership of Greenland, and added that the world is not secure unless The US has total control of Greenland. The backdrop to this is the Nobel Foundation clarifying that the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred once awarded. Earlier, Venezuelan leader Maria Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump, crediting him for “his extraordinary leadership in promoting peace through strength.” Trump has publicly expressed a desire to win a Nobel Peace Prize on several occasions, including August 2025 when he called Norway’s foreign minister to discuss his chances and later complained after being passed over for Machado.
Dr. Glenn Deissen, Professor of International Relations at the University of Southeastern Norway, joins the discussion. He notes that the Norwegian Nobel Committee, not the Norwegian government, awards the Nobel Peace Prize, making Trump’s letter to the prime minister unusual. He describes the premise as strange: “either you give me the Nobel Peace Prize or I won’t care about peace anymore.” He adds that the eight wars listed by Trump as ended include Gaza, where the US financed and armed the genocide, and an Iranian war ending after a surprise US attack, suggesting stopping that war does not align cleanly with the peace claim. Deissen says Trump’s peace vision centers on peace deriving from overwhelming strength plus ambiguity or unpredictability, the fear of consequences, which he believes motivates countries to compromise.
At Davos, the geopolitical narrative is shaping up amid anti-Trump demonstrations and concerns over Venezuela and the Middle East. Deissen explains that the threats to seize Greenland are causing a rift between the United States and Europe, with Europeans unsure how to respond. They would like to push back, but fear that threatening military force could be problematic domestically and may not be permanent if power changes. He suggests Trump would prefer a pen-on-paper deal with Denmark for Greenland. The transatlantic alliance could be driven apart as tariffs and assertive U.S. policy unsettle Europe. The discussion frames Trump’s approach as resembling Nixon’s madman strategy—making adversaries believe he is extreme and unpredictable to force concessions—though it is unclear whether Trump is truly extreme or playing a role. The European stance remains uncertain and divided.
Speaker 0 thanks Dr. Deissen for joining, and the segment ends with a note to download the WE ON app and subscribe to the YouTube channel.