US President Donald Trump expressed his condolences on the death of Norway's King Harald V, describing the late monarch as a “strong, proud and incredibly respected man“, DPA reported, citing a post on his account on his own platform Truth Social, BTA reported.
"(Harald) loved his country and was truly loved and respected by his people," Trump wrote early this morning. "Our hearts are with the royal family and all of Norway at this difficult time. Truly a GREAT loss!", he added.
King Harald, who died on Friday at the age of 89, was extremely popular in his homeland. Trump, however, is not particularly popular among Norwegians, for several reasons, DPA notes.
The US president has alienated NATO allies in Scandinavia, who rely on solidarity in the alliance, with his repeated threats to "take control" of Greenland, the Arctic island belonging to neighboring Denmark. He has also held Norway directly responsible for his failure to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which is traditionally awarded in Oslo.
Trump has expressed the opinion that he fully deserves the award. In January, he summed up his feelings in one sentence: "I have lost a lot of respect for Norway," DPA recalls.
The FIFA Peace Prize, introduced in 2025, awarded to Trump by the organization's president, Gianni Infantino, has also drawn ridicule in the northern country. The head of the Norwegian Football Association, Lise Klavenes, criticized the award as a political award without any basis and called for it to be immediately revoked.
At the World Cup in the United States, she accused Trump of interfering in sports after a phone call from Trump to Infantino led to the suspension of American striker Folarin Balogun for the round of 16 match against Belgium being overturned. The case, unprecedented in recent World Cup history, sparked outrage not only in Norway but around the world.