Iceland has requested an emergency meeting with the United States ambassador, Billy Long, following a social media post by President Donald Trump that appeared to annex the Nordic nation into American territory. The diplomatic action marks another escalation in tensions between Reykjavik and Washington over perceived territorial expansionism.
The incident began on Monday when President Trump shared an image on Truth Social depicting a vast stretch of the Western Hemisphere—including the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, Greenland, and Iceland—covered in the American flag. The entire landmass was labeled “United States of America.” The post carried no accompanying caption.
In response, Iceland’s Foreign Minister, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, condemned the image as “completely inappropriate.” She formally called in US Ambassador Long, who assumed his post just last month, signaling that the Icelandic government views the map as a serious affront to its sovereignty. In diplomatic protocol, summoning an ambassador indicates that the host nation intends to register a strong protest regarding the actions of the sending government.
This event is the latest in a series of diplomatic strains caused by Trump’s repeated territorial ambitions. His administration has previously proposed acquiring Greenland and suggested that Canada could become America’s 51st state. The map post followed a series of Trump’s social media entries that rebranded the US state of New Mexico as “New America,” further fueling concerns among neighboring nations.
Reactions from other regional leaders were swift. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen addressed the implications for Greenland, stating that the desire of the Greenlandic government and people to remain independent of the US has been communicated repeatedly. “I hope no one is in any doubt about that, either in the United States or the rest of the world,” she told the Ritzau news agency.
Tensions also rose with Mexico. President Claudia Sheinbaum issued a stark rejection of any American territorial claims, writing on social media that Mexico is “neither nor will be a colony or protectorate of any foreign country.” She affirmed that her nation remains “a free, independent, and sovereign nation.”
The diplomatic row coincides with increased European engagement in the Arctic. Shortly before Trump’s post, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Nuuk alongside Prime Minister Frederiksen. During the visit, the European Commission announced a €200 million (£172m) investment package aimed at bolstering Greenland’s infrastructure, focusing on education, internet connectivity, raw material extraction, and hydropower energy.
Trump’s interest in Greenland has persisted throughout his current term, with the President frequently arguing on his platforms and in speeches that controlling the island is essential for US national security.
Iceland seems very polite about it, but summoning an ambassador is serious. Hopefully this blows over before someone posts a map claiming Norway next.
Did anyone else notice the map includes Canada? Calling it the 51st state earlier makes this feel like a consistent, alarming pattern.
Greenland was already weird enough with those purchase talks, but adding Iceland to a flag map? That is a whole new level of absurd.
I can’t believe they actually summoned the ambassador. This feels like a bizarre fever dream rather than real diplomacy.