How Trump Confuses and Distorts Country Names: Geography Isn't the President's Strong Suit

US President Donald Trump has once again found himself in the spotlight for a geographic blunder: at a press conference, he claimed to have stopped a war between Armenia and Cambodia—a conflict that never existed. We've compiled the 47th president's most famous geographic blunders from various sources.

The announcement of a war between Armenia and Cambodia was just one in a long line of Trump's geographic gaffes that have sparked both laughter and concern about his foreign policy credentials.

Confusion between Armenia, Albania and "Aberbian"

At a press conference with Prime Minister Keir Starmer in England, Trump boasted of ending the "long-standing conflict" between Azerbaijan and Albania, calling Azerbaijan "Aberbian." In reality, he was likely referring to the recent agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which he himself promoted as a "historic breakthrough."

On the subject: Trump reconciled Armenia and Azerbaijan: countries signed a joint declaration in the White House

"It was a major conflict that lasted 34-35 years, with Azerbaijan and... er... Albania. I met their leaders through trade, and they hugged within an hour," he said. Albania, a Balkan country, has no territorial disputes with Azerbaijan, and the real conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh was between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

This slip of the tongue, which quickly went viral, garnered millions of views on social media. Journalist Aaron Rupar quipped in X: "If Biden had made that mistake, it would have been on the front page of the New York Times. But Trump is just Trump."

This incident is not isolated. Just a week ago, Trump again mentioned the "ceasefire" between Azerbaijan and Albania on Fox News, adding it to his list of "diplomatic victories." And in August, he hosted the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Oval Office to sign a peace agreement, including Trump's "route for international peace and prosperity" through Nakhchivan. Forgetting the name of one of the parties a month later is, according to Britain's The Independent, "a new level of diplomatic awkwardness."

Ukraine and the "Thousand Miles of Ocean"

Another recent blunder occurred at a White House briefing where Trump was discussing the military deployment in Washington. Speaking about the conflict in Ukraine, he stated, "Ukraine is basically a thousand miles of ocean." Ukraine, bordering the Black and Azov Seas, is landlocked, making this statement absurd.

X users joked, "Does Trump think Ukraine is an island in the Pacific Ocean?" This error is particularly noteworthy given that Trump has repeatedly commented on the situation in Ukraine, promising a "quick resolution" to the conflict.

Chronicle of geographical blunders

George Conway, a prominent Washington lawyer and husband of White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, compiled a collection of Trump's geographic blunders in X, calling them a "diplomatic learning curve." Among them:

• Belgium as a city: Trump was convinced that Belgium was a city, not a country.
• "Nambia" and "Nipple": In 2017, at a meeting with African leaders at the UN, he referred to the non-existent country of "Nambia," and while studying a map of South Asia, he pronounced Nepal as "Nipple" and Bhutan as "Button."
• Time zones: Conway noted that Trump did not understand why it was night in Tokyo when it was day in Washington.
• The Baltics instead of the Balkans: At a meeting with the leaders of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, Trump blamed them for the breakup of Yugoslavia, confusing the Baltic states with the Balkans. "They're confused: what the hell? And then it dawns on them—the Balkans, the Baltics... a clown," Conway wrote.
• Wall between Colorado and Mexico: At a rally, Trump said he was building a "beautiful border wall" between Colorado and Mexico, even though the state does not border Mexico.
• Iraq instead of Iran: He mistakenly spoke of an airstrike on Iraq when he meant Iran.
• India has no border with China: Trump told the Indian Prime Minister that their country does not border China, although the border stretches for 4000 kilometers.
• England as the United Kingdom: Last year, he confused England with the United Kingdom, believing it "changed its name for branding."

In 2018, the British had a blast collecting Trump's statements about their country.

Conway, citing a 2017 Politico article titled "Trump's Diplomatic Learning Curve: Time Zones, 'Nambia,' and 'Nipple,'" emphasized that such missteps cause "no small stir" in diplomatic circles. In 2025, this list is only growing, with the Armenia, Aberbian, Albania, and Cambodia missteps becoming the new "favorite" of critics.

In fact, geographic blunders aren't just a joke. In an era of complex international conflicts, geopolitical accuracy is crucial. Trump's errors undermine the credibility of his diplomatic pronouncements, especially when he boasts of "peacekeeping" successes. The New Republic notes: "If a president confuses countries and invents wars, how can he be trusted to negotiate?" X users add sarcasm: "Let Trump rename Armenia Cambodia and be done with it."

Trump dismisses the criticism as a "witch hunt." But as he continues to confuse countries, cities, and even continents, the world wonders: can the leader of a superpower understand the map before tackling global problems?

Read also on ForumDaily:

Trump said Putin had let him down and promised good news on Ukraine.

Trump orders removal of slavery-related information from US national parks

The Trump administration has approved its first military aid package for Ukraine.

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.