Why Donald Trump’s latest map has the North Atlantic on edge
in brief
- Donald Trump posted a map where the US stretches across North America and extends north to include Greenland and Iceland.
- Canada has also faced frequent comments from Trump about becoming part of the US.
A map posted by United States President Donald Trump has drawn sharp reactions from governments across the North Atlantic.
The image showed the US stretching across North America and extending north to include Greenland and Iceland.
It was coloured in the red, white and blue of the US flag.
Trump offered no explanation for the post.
But it came after months of comments about Canada becoming the 51st US state and repeated statements about taking control of Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
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Why Greenland matters to Trump
Trump has repeatedly said the US should acquire Greenland, citing its strategic importance.
Greenland is geographically part of North America but politically linked to Europe through its relationship with Denmark. It has extensive self-government, while Denmark remains responsible for areas including foreign and defence policy.
The latest map prompted a strong response from Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
“It’s disturbing and, in many ways, completely inappropriate,” he told Danish broadcaster DR on Wednesday.
He said the post showed that Trump still held what he described as a “maximalist vision” and added: “We need to rein that in.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also stressed that Greenlanders had repeatedly said they did not want to become part of the US.
Why Iceland is involved
Iceland became part of the controversy after Trump repeatedly referred to Iceland instead of Greenland while discussing his plans.
The countries are relatively close geographically, with Iceland about 290km from Greenland, but Iceland is an independent country and a NATO member.
Iceland’s foreign secretary Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir summoned US ambassador Billy Long after Trump’s map was posted. According to Iceland’s national broadcaster RÚV, she told him the post was unacceptable.
The controversy has also added to debate in Iceland over its relationship with Europe.
Iceland is not a member of the European Union.
Its left-leaning coalition government put forward a referendum on whether to resume long-stalled EU membership negotiations, partly framed around strengthening ties with Europe amid geopolitical uncertainty.
Voters rejected the proposal on 30 August.
Tensions over the US ambassador
Long has faced controversy in Iceland before.
Earlier this year, thousands of Icelanders signed a petition urging the government to reject him as ambassador after he joked about Iceland becoming the 52nd US state and himself becoming its governor.
Long apologised and took up his post in Reykjavík last month.
His comments came as Trump was already drawing attention in the region with his repeated statements about Greenland and Canada.
Canada and the wider map
Canada has also faced frequent comments from Trump about becoming part of the US.
The remarks have coincided with a trade war between Washington and Ottawa. Trump has also recently referred to Lake Ontario as “Lake America”.
During the same weekend as his North American map post, Trump suggested that the US state of New Mexico could be renamed “New America”.
None of these comments changes the existing borders or sovereignty of the countries and territories involved.
But they have produced strong reactions from governments in the region, particularly as the Arctic and North Atlantic become increasingly important strategic areas.
The governments involved have made clear that the territorial status and political futures of Greenland, Iceland and Canada are not determined by maps posted from Washington.
— With additional reporting by the Associated Press and Reuters.
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