Iceland Summons US Ambassador After Donald Trump Posts Map Showing Island Under American Flag

Iceland summoned the US ambassador after President Donald Trump posted a map on social media showing Iceland, Greenland, Canada and other territories covered by the American flag. The image, shared without an explanation, prompted Iceland’s foreign minister to call in US Ambassador Billy Long, with Reykjavik describing the post as “completely inappropriate.”

The map showed the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean under the US flag, while the entire area was labelled “United States of America”. Trump posted the image on his Truth Social platform as tensions continue over his longstanding interest in acquiring Greenland. Donald Trump Renames Lake Ontario As Lake America: What the Executive Order Says.

Donald Trump's Post That Forced Iceland Action

Iceland Calls In US Ambassador

Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Gunnarsdottir summoned Billy Long, who formally took up his post as US ambassador to Iceland only last month, according to Icelandic broadcaster RUV.

“The position was clearly expressed that the post was completely inappropriate,” the Icelandic foreign ministry told RUV. The US State Department, US embassies in Copenhagen and Reykjavik, and the US consulate in Nuuk did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Reuters reported.

Donald Trump’s Greenland Push Adds To Tensions

Trump’s post comes against the backdrop of his repeated calls in recent years for the United States to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.

Those demands have strained relations between Washington and Copenhagen, both founding members of NATO, and raised concerns more broadly among European allies. Greenland’s foreign minister said last week that dialogue with Washington over the territory’s future remained ongoing.

The latest map has added Iceland to the diplomatic controversy, despite there being no accompanying explanation from Trump about what the image was intended to convey.

Greenland Says It Does Not Want To Become American

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, speaking to Danish news agency Ritzau in Nuuk, said Greenland’s position on its future had been repeatedly made clear. “The Greenlandic government and the Greenlandic people have said again and again that they do not want to be American,” she said. “I hope no one is in any doubt about that, either in the United States or the rest of the world.”

The issue has also featured in wider European discussions about security and relations with Washington.

Iceland last month voted against reopening talks on European Union membership. The referendum took place against a backdrop of concerns over Trump’s approach to Greenland and broader questions about the reliability of US support.

Some supporters of reopening negotiations had cited concerns about US reliability as a reason for closer EU ties, although analysts said domestic economic considerations ultimately played a larger role in the result.

Trump’s map was posted only hours after the European Commission announced a 200 million Euros (USD 232.50 million) investment in Greenland during a visit by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The Icelandic government’s decision to summon the US ambassador marks a diplomatic response to a social media post that Reykjavik said crossed an important line.

For now, there has been no public explanation from Trump about why Iceland and other territories were shown under the American flag. The incident comes as questions over Greenland, Arctic security and the future of transatlantic relations remain a source of tension between the United States and European countries.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 08, 2026 04:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).