Iceland protests US map that places the nation within United States borders
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Iceland's foreign ministry lodged a formal protest after a map shared by President Donald Trump depicted Iceland as part of the United States, prompting a diplomatic objection to the US ambassador.
Iceland's government filed an official protest with Washington after a map posted on social media by President Donald Trump showed Iceland shaded in the American flag alongside Canada, Greenland and Mexico as a single "United States of America." Foreign Minister Þórgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir summoned the US ambassador to convey that the depiction was unacceptable.
The map, shared on Monday, presented a redrawn North America without any explanatory caption, implying the inclusion of Iceland within US territory. The incident follows recent Icelandic opposition to restarting EU accession talks in a referendum held on August 29, a vote that occurred amid broader concerns about Trump's statements on Greenland.
Iceland relies on its NATO membership and a defence agreement with the United States dating to 1951 for security, as it has maintained no standing army since 1944. Relations have been strained by Trump's earlier suggestions of annexing Greenland and a tariff dispute with Canada, contributing to Reykjavik's wariness toward US intentions in the North Atlantic.
"The map is simply not acceptable," Gunnarsdóttir told the US envoy.
The diplomatic protest underscores Iceland's sensitivity to perceived challenges to its sovereignty and the importance of the US partnership for its defence.