Iceland called in the U.S. Ambassador on Monday after President Donald Trump posted an image online showing the island covered by the American flag. The country’s Foreign Ministry described the post as “completely inappropriate” and used the meeting to make its objection formal.
Background: A Map That Sparked a Diplomatic Response
Trump shared the image on his Truth Social account without any caption or explanation. The map showed the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico, and much of Central America and the Caribbean all covered by the U.S. flag, with the entire landmass labeled “United States of America.”
It wasn’t the first time Iceland had gotten pulled into this kind of moment. Back in January, Billy Long, now the sitting U.S. ambassador there, joked on the floor of the House about Iceland becoming the 52nd state, with himself as its governor. He walked it back two days later, saying it had been a joke made in response to another joke about a different official.
Details: What Happened at the Ministry
Iceland’s Foreign Minister, Thorgerdur Gunnarsdottir, called in Ambassador Long, who had only formally taken up his post the previous month, according to Icelandic broadcaster RUV. The meeting was brief but pointed, and the ministry’s public statement afterward didn’t soften the message.
To be clear, despite what the map suggested, Iceland is not a U.S. territory. It’s an independent, sovereign nation with its own government, and has been since the early 20th century. The map didn’t come with any policy explanation attached, which left diplomats and observers to read intent into an image rather than a stated position.
The timing mattered too. Trump’s post landed just hours after the European Commission announced a €200 million investment in Greenland during a visit by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, adding another layer to an already tense stretch of transatlantic relations involving the Arctic.
Quotes From Officials
“The position was clearly expressed that the post was completely inappropriate,” Iceland’s Foreign Ministry told RUV, summarizing the message delivered directly to Ambassador Long during the summons.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, speaking separately about the broader pattern of U.S. rhetoric toward the region, said the message from Greenland had been consistent for some time. “The Greenlandic government and the Greenlandic people have said again and again that they do not want to be American,” she said, speaking to Danish news agency Ritzau while in Nuuk.
The U.S. State Department and the U.S. embassies in Copenhagen and Reykjavik did not immediately respond to requests for comment when the story first broke.
Impact: Another Strain on Nordic Relations
This isn’t an isolated incident. Iceland voted last month against reopening talks on EU membership, and Trump’s stated interest in Greenland had featured as part of the backdrop to that vote. Some who supported restarting EU talks pointed to concerns about U.S. reliability as one reason to consider closer European ties, although analysts largely credited domestic economic factors with driving the actual result.
For a small NATO ally like Iceland, moments like this carry weight beyond the map itself. Reykjavik depends on a stable relationship with Washington on defense and trade, and jokes or symbolic gestures about annexation, even without any policy behind them, make that relationship a little harder to manage each time they come back around.
What Happens Next
Neither side has indicated this will escalate beyond the summons and public statement. Ambassador Long’s tenure in Reykjavik is still young, and how he handles the fallout from both this incident and his earlier remarks about statehood will likely shape how much trust Icelandic officials extend him going forward. For now, the U.S. government hasn’t offered any clarification of Trump’s intent behind the map.
FAQs
What is a U.S. ambassador’s salary?
U.S. ambassadors are paid on the federal government’s Foreign Service pay scale, and most chief-of-mission ambassadors earn somewhere in the range of $145,000 to $195,000 a year, depending on rank and experience. Political appointees like Billy Long typically receive a salary set within that same general band rather than a separately negotiated figure, since ambassador pay follows federal guidelines rather than private-sector norms.
Is there a U.S. embassy in Iceland?
Yes, the United States maintains a full embassy in Reykjavik, and it has for decades. The post traces back to 1941, when the U.S. first established formal diplomatic representation there, and Ambassador Billy Long is the latest in a long line of appointees to lead it, having taken up the role in August 2026.
Is the U.S. military still in Iceland?
Not in the way it once was. The U.S. operated a significant military presence at Naval Air Station Keflavik for decades during the Cold War, but that base closed in 2006 when American forces withdrew. Iceland remains a NATO member and the U.S. still coordinates on regional defense matters, but there’s no longer a permanent American military garrison stationed on the island the way there was in earlier decades.
