The Icelandic government has summoned the US ambassador after President Donald Trump posted on social media an image with a map in which Mexico, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, and the Caribbean islands appear covered by the colors of the US flag. “It was made clear in the meeting that the post was completely unacceptable,” said Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir to the public television RÚV.
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Trump posted that map the day before without any comment on his Truth Social network, hours after suggesting, on the same social network, that the US state of New Mexico should be renamed and called “New America,” in line with his claim about the “Gulf of America.”
“It is completely unacceptable,” says the Icelandic Foreign Minister
The Icelandic government had already asked for explanations a few months ago from the United States after it became known that Trump’s nominee for ambassador in Reykjavik, Billy Long, privately commented in the House of Representatives that he was prepared to be “the governor of the 52nd state,” in relation to this Nordic country. Long, who was eventually appointed ambassador, then apologized, saying it had been a joke.
Trump’s claims in recent years that the US should acquire neighboring Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, caused tensions between Washington and Copenhagen — both founding members of NATO — and, more broadly, throughout Europe.
Last month, Iceland voted against reopening negotiations for EU membership in a referendum in which Trump’s claims about Greenland had served as a backdrop. Some supporters of starting negotiations had cited concerns about the reliability of the United States as a reason to consider strengthening ties with the EU, although analysts noted that, ultimately, internal economic concerns determined the outcome.
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Trump’s post came hours after the European Commission announced an investment of 200 million euros in Greenland during a visit by the Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen.
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