Foreign Minister Outlines Iceland’s Position on Europe–US Relations

2026-02-16 - 10:38

Iceland supports moves towards a more self-reliant Europe while maintaining close ties with the United States of America, Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir has said, as reported by RÚV. Speaking after attending the Munich Security Conference, Þorgerður said discussions among European leaders reflected a determination to strengthen defence cooperation and reduce dependency on major powers. Iceland, a founding member of NATO without its own standing army, relies on international partnerships for security. What's the Story? Comments by Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir following the Munich Security Conference in Germany Europe described as investing more in defence and seeking greater independence from major powers, including the United States US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the transatlantic alliance; policy differences noted by Iceland’s foreign minister Emblem of Iceland's Foreign Ministry. Credit: Geraldshields11. Wikimedia. Security Strategy Shift “The tone here is that Europe is stronger after this meeting, it intends to be more independent, it intends to be more independent.” “Whether it is with the United States or other great powers, that is why it is investing so much in defense and security, as is evident,” she said. At the conference, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the importance of the transatlantic alliance. His remarks were viewed as more measured than those delivered the previous year by Vice President JD Vance, though policy differences remain. Values & Alliances “Of course, we do not share all the values and policies expressed by the MAGA group. He mentioned climate change, we know exactly what the policy is on equality and human rights issues, and that is not our policy,” Þorgerður said. “It doesn’t change the fact that friends continue to talk even if they don’t agree on everything. That’s what I thought was good that came out of this.” “It’s underlining the importance of the transatlantic relationship, and it’s very clear, having been here these days at the conference, that we are seeing a stronger and more cohesive Europe being built now.” She added: “Europe has reached a new level in its relations with the United States. We all want to maintain this valuable relationship, we are emphasizing that, but it will not be done solely on the basis of the United States.” “There are important values that, among other things, are the foundation of our foreign policy, such as democracy, freedom, human rights, the inviolability of borders, respect for international law. We are not moving away from them. It is good to see that the European Union and other European countries are not doing that either.” For further reporting on Iceland’s international role, see Iceland Review’s politics coverage.