Iceland Summons US Ambassador Amid Official Protest Over Trump's Expansionist Map
Iceland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the U.S. ambassador on Tuesday following former President Donald Trump's publication of a map that appeared to depict the island nation as part of the United States. In a statement, the Ministry reported that Foreign Minister Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir summoned the U.S. ambassador the previous day to convey a clear message that the image was "completely inappropriate." Trump had posted an image on social media platforms on Monday, featuring a map where Canada, Greenland, Mexico, and Iceland were colored with the U.S. flag's hues. Donald Trump's expansionist ambitions now extend beyond past statements on Greenland or Canada. Recent maps and posts reveal a broader vision for U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere, aligning with a campaign to rename locations with direct American designations. In the latest development, Trump displayed an expanded map of the United States on his Truth Social platform, encompassing Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico, Cuba, and parts of Central America and the Caribbean, reflecting his ambitious vision for U.S. influence. The map's publication, however, does not imply Washington has announced annexation or that these are U.S. territories. It is part of a series of statements, images, and posts that have sparked broad debate about Trump's geographic and political ambitions. These maps coincided with actual geographic renaming efforts. In August 2026, Trump issued an executive order to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America" for federal use. He justified this by citing the U.S. role in protecting and investing in the Great Lakes, drawing Canadian objections as the lake is shared. Prior to this, during his second term, Trump had issued a directive to use the name "Gulf of America" instead of "Gulf of Mexico" in U.S. federal maps and references. This step became a symbol of his policy aimed at reshaping geography in line with his "America First" slogan. Furthermore, a more unusual proposal surfaced this current September when Trump published a picture of a New Mexico state map, with the word "Mexico" crossed out and replaced by "America." The U.S. administration has not announced an official decision to change the state's name, nor does the President unilaterally possess the authority to rename a state, as such an action requires complex constitutional and legislative procedures.
