Iceland: Siltanews – News Desk
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, has cited a need for Icelanders to take matters of national defense more seriously, as reported by Iceland’s National Broadcaster.
She has been the incumbent Foreign Affairs Minister since 21 December 2024, having taken on the role as part of the new government coalition.
During the interview, Þorgerður stressed that during uncertain times, it is more important than ever before to cooperate closely with allies.
Regarding global events over recent months, she said there is no reason to be afraid, but there is reason to be cautious.
She also emphasized the close diplomatic ties Iceland shares with the Nordics, as well as the United States of America. Iceland has been a member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since its founding in 1949.
Despite highlighting positive international relations, the Foreign Affairs minister stated that Iceland needs to contribute more to its own security.
She stated that recent months have shown the importance of guaranteed security for a healthy nation, and that the matter cannot be considered a simple one.
She highlighted the joint work done by the Ministry of Justice, the National Commissioner of Police, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on matters of resilience.
In this context, resilience refers to a NATO member’s ability to prepare for, resist, respond to, and recover from strategic disruptions. In other words, how would Iceland respond to an attack or invasion from an enemy combatant?
Work continues between numerous ministries on making sure that Icelandic resilience matches NATO criteria.
The Foreign Affairs Minister’s comments are, almost certainly, related to US President Donald Trump’s hard line approach to limiting financial and military support for European defense.
Regarding the President’s comments on a proposed US takeover of Greenland, she reiterated the point that international law must be respected, especially in regards to smaller nations.
She also stated that Icelanders should not be bitter about recent words from the White House. Rather, it is more important to communicate and continue cultivating a healthy relationship with the world’s greatest superpower, albeit with the reassurance that Iceland will not support any US proposal by default.