This week, Iceland has been a swirl of righteous outrage after the new nominee to be US Ambassador to Iceland, Billy Long, cracked a joke. He proposed that the Nordic island become the United States’ “52nd state.” This tragic incident has continued to outrage many Icelanders, leading to thousands of Icelanders signing a petition urging Iceland’s President Guðni to reject Long’s appointment. Yet this backlash underscores the precarious tightrope Iceland walks in its diplomatic relations with the United States. This is particularly significant because of Iceland’s deep-rooted connections via NATO.
The event started innocuously enough, with an intellectual discussion among Long and his colleagues. They had fun poking at Jeff Landry—who is now Trump’s special envoy to Greenland. In defense of Long, he said at the time, the comment was tongue-in-cheek. Just floating the idea that Iceland should be a state generated a firestorm of responses. Not surprisingly, both Icelandic officials and citizens jumped at the idea.
The Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs immediately contacted the U.S. embassy in Reykjavík. They wanted to make sure all of Long’s statements were genuine. This response highlights the sensitivity surrounding national identity and sovereignty in a country that has historically fought for its independence.
In reaction to Long’s comments, a petition brought together tens of thousands of signatures. The petition called on Iceland’s Foreign Minister, Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, to reject Long’s ambassadorship, emphasizing that even if the comments were intended as jokes, they were offensive to the Icelandic people. The petition stated, “These words… may have been said in jest. Still, they are offensive to Iceland and the Icelandic people, who have had to fight for their freedom and have always been a friend to the United States.”
Ties with the US have been strong, especially through Iceland’s NATO membership. It’s this latter incident that presents a far greater challenge, both to Iceland’s national security and how Iceland continues to balance its friendships on an international level. Sigmar Guðmundsson, an MP for Iceland, remarked on the seriousness of security issues, stating, “We must realize that all the security arguments that the Americans cite regarding Greenland also apply to Iceland. This is about the location of these two islands.”
Regardless of his apology, Long’s comments have significantly damaged the message at play here. In a follow-up interview with ArcticToday, he expressed an understanding that he might have caused offense, but stood by his reasoning for making an offensive joke.
“There was nothing serious about that, I was with some people, who I hadn’t met for three years, and they were kidding about Jeff Landry being governor of Greenland and they started joking about me and if anyone took offence to it, then I apologise.” – Billy Long
Long shared this enthusiasm by impressing upon everyone how much he wanted to work with the citizens of Iceland. He insisted that his remarks were never meant to challenge Iceland’s independence. He stated, “I apologize and that’s my only comment, I look forward to working with the people of Iceland and I apologise it was taken that way.”
Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, the director of the Environmental Agency, has added her voice to the chorus of condemnation. She emphasized the need to redefine security interests given the evolving geopolitical landscape. “Icelanders have to have the courage, despite our very friendly relations with the United States… to discuss where and how our security interests are best served in this changing world,” she remarked.