"In January, Billy Long, US President Donald Trump's nominee for ambassador to the Nordic island nation joked to some members of the US Congress that Iceland should become the 52nd US state and that he would be governor. There was immediate outrage in Iceland, with the foreign ministry contacting the US embassy for clarification, social media being flooded with negative comments, and thousands of Icelandic citizens in a country with a population of around 400,000 signing a petition demanding that another person be nominated as ambassador."
"The recent debate between Trump and the US' NATO partners over the Arctic island of Greenland has surely helped to exacerbate the ire and fears of the Icelandic population. Though Iceland belongs to Europe, it is much closer to Greenland than to the European mainland, separated only by 300 kilometers (186 miles) if measuring at the narrowest points between them. Icelanders are thus concerned that their country could become a pawn in the great game between major powers."
"They are so concerned that Iceland is seriously considering joining the European Union. The EU-friendly center-left government had originally planned a referendum on the issue for 2027 but is now mulling bringing it forward to August of this year. According to recent polls, the chances of Icelanders voting in favor of joining the bloc are good: 45% support accession to the EU, while 35% do not."
Billy Long, Trump's nominee for US ambassador to Iceland, made a joke suggesting Iceland become the 52nd US state, causing significant backlash. Iceland's foreign ministry demanded clarification, and thousands of citizens petitioned against his nomination. The incident coincided with Trump's public interest in acquiring Greenland, intensifying Icelandic fears about geopolitical vulnerability. Concerned about becoming a pawn in great power competition, Iceland is now seriously considering EU membership, potentially accelerating a referendum from 2027 to August 2024. Recent polls show 45% support EU accession versus 35% opposition, reflecting growing security anxieties among the population.
#iceland-eu-membership #us-iceland-relations #greenland-geopolitics #arctic-security-concerns #trump-administration-diplomacy
Read at www.dw.com
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