A provocative social media post from former U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked widespread diplomatic pushback from multiple sovereign nations, reigniting long-standing concerns over his repeated expansionist territorial ambitions. On Monday, Trump shared a manipulated map on his platform Truth Social that depicted the entire North American continent, Greenland, Iceland, and the Caribbean islands all overlaid with the U.S. stars and stripes, with the entire combined landmass labeled “United States of America.” The map was posted without an explanatory caption, and it was followed by a string of additional posts proposing renaming the U.S. state of New Mexico as “New America.”
In response to the inflammatory post, Iceland has formally summoned the newly seated U.S. Ambassador to Reykjavik, Billy Long, who assumed his post just last month. Iceland’s Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir publicly condemned the share, calling it “completely inappropriate.” The act of summoning an ambassador is a long-standing diplomatic convention used to formally convey a host nation’s strong displeasure with actions taken by the ambassador’s home government.
This incident is far from an isolated provocation: Trump’s repeated interest in absorbing additional territory has strained Washington’s ties with neighboring and allied nations for years. Long before this map post, Trump made headlines with his public push to purchase the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland, and he has repeatedly floated the idea of annexing Canada as the 51st U.S. state. Since returning to office last year, his interest in Greenland has only intensified, with the former president arguing that control over the Arctic island is critical to shoring up U.S. national security in the region.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also joined in criticism of the map post during a visit to Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. Speaking to Danish news outlet Ritzau, Frederiksen emphasized that Greenland’s position on sovereignty has been repeatedly and clearly stated. “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.”
Frederiksen’s comments came just days after the European Commission announced a €200 million (£172 million) investment package for Greenland, unveiled during a joint visit by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Frederiksen. The funding is earmarked for upgrades to local education systems, expanded broadband internet connectivity, sustainable development of Greenland’s raw material sectors, and improvements to its hydropower infrastructure.
Mexico has also issued a sharp rebuke of Trump’s map. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum issued a formal statement on social media rejecting any implication of Mexican territorial concession, writing that “Mexico is neither nor will be a colony or protectorate of any foreign country. Proudly we are a free, independent, and sovereign nation.”
The incident has drawn renewed international attention to Trump’s unconventional approach to territorial claims and diplomatic relations, raising questions about how repeated expansionist rhetoric could further erode trust between the U.S. and its closest regional allies.