Scott Bessent dismisses claims Trump’s Greenland move is tied to Nobel Prize: ‘A complete canard’

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has sought to temper international and media reactions to the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s push to take over Greenland. 

Bessent rejected claims that Trump’s actions are connected to a perceived snub over the Nobel Peace Prize, and he insisted that tensions between the United States and Europe remain manageable despite escalating rhetoric and tariff threats over the Arctic territory.

Scott Bessent weighs in on Nobel Prize controversy and Greenland

Bessent vigorously denied that Trump’s campaign to acquire Greenland was motivated by anger over not receiving the Peace Prize. Speaking from the World Economic Forum, Bessent described any linkage between the Nobel and US-Greenland diplomacy as “a complete canard”.

He told CNBC’s 'Squawk Box' that there was “no kind of equivalence with the Nobel Prize.” He emphasized to reporters that the United States’ interest in the territory pre-dated Trump, noting that it “has been on the president’s mind since his first term.”

He added that US interest in the Arctic territory “has been on the presidential mind for 150 years, 160 years [that] the US has been trying to acquire Greenland.”

The comments came in direct response to a leaked text message from Trump to Norway’s prime minister, revealed this week, in which Trump reportedly wrote that after not receiving the Peace Prize he “no longer feels an obligation to think purely of peace” regarding US policy toward Greenland.

That message also stated, according to the leak, that “the world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland.” Bessent also sought to dismiss broader speculation that Trump’s stance on Greenland, coupled with threats to impose tariffs on European countries opposing US plans was damaging its diplomatic or financial standing. 

He urged countries allied with the US to “take a deep breath” and resist escalation, criticizing narratives that suggested Europe might retaliate by selling off US assets.

Scott Bessent on US-Europe relations and tariffs

In a separate dispatch from Davos, Bessent also highlighted what he described as robust relations between the US and its European partners despite tensions over Greenland. He said America’s connections with Europe “have never been closer,” even as new tariff threats loom.

The Trump administration announced that, starting in February, a 10% import tax would be imposed on goods from eight European nations that have sided with Denmark in opposing US efforts to take over Greenland.

Bessent urged these trading partners to remain patient and allow the situation to “play out” rather than rushing into retaliation. Bessent noted that Trump believes the US needs Greenland for reasons tied to security, particularly amid concerns about China’s and Russia’s roles in the Arctic.

On Tuesday, Trump shared posts portraying Greenland and Canada as part of the United States, following up with another post showing him alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio hoisting the US flag there.

The Danish-governed territory’s semi-autonomy has made it a focal point of debate within NATO and beyond, and European leaders are considering countermeasures, including the use of the EU’s anti-coercion instrument or retaliation through tariffs and possible suspension of trade agreements.