On September 7th, local time, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a picture on social media. The picture showed that in addition to the United States, countries such as Iceland, Canada, Mexico, Greenland, and Central and Caribbean regions were also covered with the American flag. The entire land was labeled as "United States of America". However, apart from this picture, Trump did not provide any written explanation.
According to Icelandic national broadcaster RUV, after Trump posted these images, Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Gunnarsdottir summoned US Ambassador to Iceland Billy Long that day. Long had only taken up his post officially last month.
Icelandic Foreign Ministry states: "We have clearly expressed this stance; the posting of this article is entirely inappropriate."
Trump’s post on the "Truth Social" platform
According to a follow-up report by Reuters on September 8, local time, the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Denmark, the U.S. Embassy in Iceland, and the U.S. Consulate in Greenland did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs also did not respond to requests for comment.
Reports indicate that since returning to the White House, Trump has repeatedly stated that the United States must control Greenland, the autonomous territory of Denmark. This statement has caused tensions between the United States and Denmark (both are founding members of NATO) and has also sparked controversy across Europe.
Last month, Iceland voted against reopening negotiations to join the EU in a referendum. Trump's attempt to annex Greenland is one of the background factors that influenced this referendum.
Some proponents of starting negotiations have advocated for closer ties with the EU, citing concerns about the reliability of the United States. However, analysts point out that economic considerations within Iceland ultimately determined the outcome of the referendum. In fact, more than half of Iceland’s citizens opposed the resumption of negotiations regarding joining the EU.
