U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked concern in the North Atlantic with his recent map depiction. Over the holiday weekend, Trump shared a map on his Truth Social platform featuring the U.S. flag colors covering the entirety of North America, including Canada, Mexico, Greenland, and Iceland. This led to Iceland calling in its ambassador in response to the post, which did not offer any explanation but referenced Trump’s previous remarks about Canada potentially becoming the 51st state and his interest in acquiring Greenland.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen expressed unease over the map, describing it as inappropriate and suggestive of Trump’s maximalist aspirations. Iceland’s Foreign Secretary Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir summoned U.S. Ambassador Billy Long to convey that the post was unacceptable.
The Arctic region has been tense since Trump intensified his statements earlier in the year regarding U.S. control over Greenland. The European Union sought to reassure Greenland by promising a strengthened partnership and substantial investment following Trump’s repeated threats. Iceland, located just 290 kilometers away, became alarmed after Trump mistakenly mentioned their country four times while discussing his intentions for Greenland.
The incident prompted Iceland’s government to expedite a referendum on EU membership, which was ultimately rejected by voters on August 30. Additionally, a petition was signed by thousands of Icelanders urging the prime minister to reject Ambassador Long after a previous comment suggesting Iceland could become the 52nd U.S. state.
Trump’s repeated suggestions of Canada becoming a U.S. state have caused tension, leading to a trade war and his recent proposal to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” A petition signed by over 225,000 Canadians calls for the expulsion of U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra over these threats. Former UN ambassador Bob Rae expressed doubts about the effectiveness of expelling Hoekstra, citing his close ties to the Trump administration.
Amidst these developments, Trump also floated the idea of renaming New Mexico to “New America” over the Labor Day weekend, adding to the ongoing controversies surrounding his territorial comments.