Rubio assures Iceland US has no designs as Arctic tensions rise

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday sought to reassure NATO ally Iceland that President Donald Trump’s administration has no designs on the island, while saying Washington shared Reykjavik’s concerns over security in the Arctic as tensions with Russia rise in the high north and elsewhere.

Beginning a three-nation tour of NATO allies, Rubio also stressed diplomacy and said the United States and Iceland were committed to expanding defence and commercial ties. His visit comes amid unease in Iceland over the Republican administration’s often brusque approach to traditional allies and partners.

Rubio met Icelandic Foreign Secretary Thorgerdur Katrn Gunnarsdottir at Reykjavik’s Hofdi House, the site of the 1986 summit between US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, which is widely seen as the beginning of the end of the Cold War. After the talks, held days before the 40th anniversary of that meeting, Rubio posted on social media: "The house symbolises diplomacy’s role in ending the Cold War and defeating communism."

After his talks with Gunnarsdottir and Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir, Rubio and Gunnarsdottir played down differences between the two countries. Rubio said the United States would not do anything in Iceland without Iceland’s consent. "We would be open to having those conversations to see what we can do together," he said, noting that the US had maintained a permanent military presence in Iceland for decades until 2006, when changing priorities led to the closure of its Keflavik base outside Reykjavik. He added that priorities had shifted again.

Rubio also praised Iceland, saying: "We have tremendous respect for the people. We have respect for the country in the role it plays, and it has for a very long time."

Iceland has been uneasy about Trump’s intentions after a map was posted showing the colours of the US flag across all of North America and extending to Iceland and Greenland. The concern continued despite an agreement last month to increase the US presence in Greenland, a Danish territory, which appeared to end Trump’s earlier demand for the US to take full control. Gunnarsdottir said the matter had been largely, if not entirely, resolved. "We remain focused on the future," she said. Rubio said he was not in Iceland to discuss social media posts, adding: "Everything is very positive."

Before leaving Washington on Monday, Rubio said the visit was meant to "advance our shared priorities: a secure Arctic, stronger commercial and energy ties, and closer defence cooperation". He gave no indication then of tensions with Iceland, which is a NATO member but has no standing army. The map episode had alarmed Icelanders, and Gunnarsdottir later summoned US Ambassador Billy Long and told him the post was unacceptable. Iceland, which is 290 kilometres from Greenland, had already been on edge after Trump mistakenly named the country four times while speaking about Greenland.

Long has also drawn attention in Iceland. Before taking up his post in August, thousands of Icelanders signed a petition urging the prime minister to reject him after he joked earlier this year about Iceland becoming the 52nd US state and himself becoming governor. He later apologised. He is not the first Trump ambassador to Iceland to cause concern. During Trump’s first term, Ambassador Jeffrey Ross Gunter unsettled residents in relatively crime-free Reykjavik by asking to hire armed bodyguards, prompting complaints.

Rubio’s next stop is Athens, where another ambassador issue may await him. Representative Gregory Meeks, the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said last week he would investigate allegations of misconduct and impropriety involving the US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle. In a letter to Rubio, Meeks said he wanted answers after allegations reported by The Wall Street Journal last month and said he would call for Guilfoyle’s dismissal if the reported conduct was true.

The Journal reported that Guilfoyle told guests at a reception that the US could undermine the Greek government if it chose to, promoted the business interests of one Greek construction and energy company, and allowed its lobbyist into private diplomatic meetings. Some Greek opposition parties have called for an inquiry, though it is not clear whether one will go ahead. Guilfoyle has denied wrongdoing, and Rubio has defended her, saying after the report that she "has been an incredible advocate for the president’s agenda in Greece and across Europe" and that he and Trump valued her "pivotal work and leadership", especially on energy. The Trump administration sees Greece as important to promoting and exporting US-produced liquefied natural gas to southeastern and central Europe.

Rubio’s Iceland visit, the first leg of his tour that also includes Greece and Portugal, centred on easing concerns over US intentions, underlining shared Arctic security priorities and signalling a push for closer defence, commercial and energy ties with NATO allies.