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🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Elections & Politics

Iceland summons US ambassador over Trump's stars-and-stripes map

From BBC News · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Iceland summoned US Ambassador Billy Long after President Donald Trump posted a map depicting Iceland and several other countries under the US flag.
  • Iceland's foreign minister called the post "completely inappropriate," while Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Greenland's people do not want to become American.
  • Mexico's president also reaffirmed her country's independence after the post, which followed Trump's repeated interest in acquiring Greenland and making Canada the 51st US state.

Iceland has summoned the US ambassador after President Donald Trump posted a map that appeared to place Iceland and several other countries under the American flag. The image, posted on Truth Social on Monday, showed the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean covered in stars and stripes. The entire landmass carried the label "United States of America."

completely inappropriate

· Þorgerður Katrín GunnarsdóttirIceland's foreign minister described Trump's map post.

Iceland's Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir called in Ambassador Billy Long, who formally took up the post last month. She described Trump's post as "completely inappropriate." Summoning an ambassador typically signals a formal meeting in which the host government expresses its displeasure over another government's actions.

The Greenlandic government and the Greenlandic people have said again and again that they do not want to be American.

· Mette FrederiksenThe Danish prime minister rejected any suggestion that Greenland wants to become part of the United States.

The map drew criticism in Denmark as well. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in Nuuk that Greenland's government and people had made their position clear. "The Greenlandic government and the Greenlandic people have said again and again that they do not want to be American," she told Danish news agency Ritzau. "I hope no one is in any doubt about that, either in the United States or the rest of the world."

I hope no one is in any doubt about that, either in the United States or the rest of the world.

· Mette FrederiksenFrederiksen stressed Greenland's opposition to becoming American.

Trump's interest in Greenland has appeared repeatedly in his social media posts and speeches since he returned to office last year. He has said the island is needed to strengthen US national security. His map post came shortly after the European Commission announced a €200 million investment in Greenland focused on education, internet connectivity, raw materials and hydropower. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also responded, writing that Mexico "is neither nor will be a colony or protectorate of any foreign country" and is "a free, independent, and sovereign nation."

Proudly we are a free, independent, and sovereign nation

· Claudia SheinbaumMexico's president responded to Trump's map on social media.
About this summary

Originally published by BBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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