Iceland Summons US Ambassador Over Trump Map Showing Iceland and Other Countries Under American Flag
Iceland has raised a diplomatic objection with Washington after US President Donald Trump shared a controversial map that appeared to depict Iceland and several other countries as part of the United States.
Iceland’s Foreign Minister, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, summoned US Ambassador Billy Long to express the government’s concerns over the social media post. Icelandic authorities described the image as wholly inappropriate.
The map, shared by Trump on his Truth Social account, displayed the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico, parts of Central America and the Caribbean beneath the American flag. The entire area was labelled “United States of America”, although Trump did not provide an explanation for the image.
The diplomatic protest comes at a particularly sensitive time for relations between Washington and countries in the North Atlantic. Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in Greenland, the autonomous territory of Denmark, including calls for the United States to take control of the strategically important Arctic island.
The latest post has therefore raised fresh concerns in the region about US intentions towards neighbouring territories and countries.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also responded to the controversy while visiting Greenland, reiterating that the Greenlandic government and population have repeatedly rejected becoming part of the United States.
The controversy follows a period of increased international attention on Greenland because of its strategic location and natural resources. The European Commission recently announced a €200 million investment package for Greenland, adding to the geopolitical focus on the Arctic.
For Iceland, the issue carries additional weight because the country has a long-standing security relationship with the United States. Iceland is a founding member of NATO and has maintained a bilateral defence agreement with Washington since 1951, despite not having its own standing military.
The US State Department and American diplomatic missions in the region had not immediately issued a detailed response to Iceland’s protest.
The incident is likely to add to the growing diplomatic debate surrounding Trump’s approach to territorial sovereignty and US strategic interests in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
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