A social media post featuring a star-spangled map that labels much of North America, Greenland, Iceland, and parts of the Caribbean as the “United States of America” has drawn swift diplomatic condemnation across Europe. According to the Associated Press, the image posted by the U.S. president over the holiday weekend sparked immediate backlash from foreign ministers, including Iceland’s decision to summon the U.S. ambassador to register a formal protest.
Iceland Summons U.S. Ambassador Over Boundary Map
Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir summoned U.S. Ambassador Billy Long on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. The ministry stated that officials made it clear the post was “entirely inappropriate.” Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir also criticized the image, stating that “there is nothing funny or normal about making fun of the sovereignty of states,” as reported by USA Today.
The map displayed the American flag stretched across the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico, Central America, and portions of the Caribbean, all marked under a single label. According to the Associated Press, the U.S. president offered no explanation for the graphic.
Danish Officials Rebuff Maximalist Visions
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen condemned the post in an interview with broadcaster DR, calling it “disturbing and, in many ways, completely inappropriate,” according to the Associated Press. Rasmussen noted that the graphic is a sign the U.S. president “still harbors some kind of maximalist vision in his own mind” and added that “we need to rein that in.”
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The controversy intersects with long-standing tensions surrounding Greenland, a self-governing Danish overseas territory. According to the Associated Press and USA Today, the U.S. president has repeatedly suggested that the United States should control Greenland due to national security interests, ideas that Denmark and Greenland have rejected. The map publication coincided with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visiting Greenland on Monday to announce a €200 million investment package to deepen ties with Europe, according to the Associated Press.
European Territories Covered by U.S. Flag
Beyond Iceland and Greenland, the map also encompassed French, British, and Dutch territories. According to the Associated Press, the French Caribbean and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon off Canada’s coast appeared under the U.S. flag. French politicians reacted sharply to the inclusion; left-wing presidential hopeful Jean-Luc Mélenchon suggested sending an aircraft carrier to maintain control over French sovereignty, while conservative politician Xavier Bertrand adopted a more restrained tone on X, stating that “our sovereignty is not reshaped by a series of edited posts on social media.”
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The map followed a series of digital boundary adjustments promoted by the U.S. leader. According to USA Today and the Associated Press, the posts included claims that Apple Maps and Google Maps joined a push to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America”—a change declared “complete, ratified, and binding” by the U.S. president—alongside a recent push to refer to New Mexico as New America.
Did you know?
Iceland is located approximately 180 miles from Greenland in the North Atlantic, making Icelandic officials attentive to security developments and territorial claims involving the region, as noted by USA Today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Iceland summon the U.S. ambassador?
According to the Associated Press, Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir summoned U.S. Ambassador Billy Long after a social media map placed Iceland beneath the U.S. flag, communicating that the post was entirely inappropriate.
How did European leaders react to the map?
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called the post disturbing and inappropriate, while French politicians debated how to respond to French territories appearing under the U.S. flag, ranging from suggestions to dispatch an aircraft carrier to statements emphasizing that sovereignty is not altered by social media posts, according to the Associated Press.
What territories were included in the U.S. flag map?
According to USA Today and the Associated Press, the map covered the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico, Central America, parts of the Caribbean, the French Caribbean, and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.
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