Trump North America map sparks Denmark and Iceland backlash

Trump posted a map showing the US across North America, Greenland and Iceland. The image revived annexation rhetoric and drew sharp diplomatic reactions in the Arctic.

In Short

• The unexplained post appeared over a holiday weekend in US flag colours
• Copenhagen called the image inappropriate and urged Washington to curb rhetoric
• Reykjavik summoned the US ambassador after fresh anxiety over territorial comments

US President Donald Trump's latest social media posts have triggered concern in the North Atlantic after he shared a map showing the US spread across all of North America and extending to Greenland and Iceland. The image, posted over the long holiday weekend, was coloured in the red, white and blue of the US flag.

The Truth Social post gave no explanation, but it revived Trump's earlier remarks about making Canada the 51st state and his repeated comments about taking over Greenland, the self-governing Danish territory. Denmark and Iceland reacted sharply, with Copenhagen calling the post inappropriate and Reykjavik summoning the US ambassador.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told national broadcaster DR on Tuesday: "It's disturbing and, in many ways, completely inappropriate. It's obviously a sign that the US president still harbours some kind of maximalist vision in his own mind. We need to rein that in." Iceland's Foreign and Defence Secretary Thorgerdur Katrn Gunnarsdottir summoned US Ambassador Billy Long to a meeting, national broadcaster RUV said.

Arctic states have remained uneasy since Trump stepped up his rhetoric at the start of the year about US control of Greenland. In Iceland, which is just 180 miles (290 km) away, concern grew after Trump mistakenly named the country four times while speaking about Greenland. Iceland is a NATO member, but the gaffe prompted its left-leaning coalition government to bring forward a referendum, originally planned for next year, on whether the country should resume long-stalled negotiations to join the European Union.

Voters rejected the measure on August 30. It had been promoted in part as a way to strengthen ties with Europe and better shield Iceland from geopolitical instability. Thousands of Icelanders also signed a petition asking the prime minister to reject Long as ambassador after he joked earlier this year about Iceland becoming the 52nd US state and making him governor. Long later apologised and took up his post in Reykjavik last month.

Trump has also angered Canada with frequent remarks about it becoming a US state, a trade war launched against the country, and his recent move to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America". Over the holiday weekend, he also suggested renaming the state of New Mexico as "New America", adding to the row set off by his latest map post.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends