REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to reassure NATO ally Iceland on Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s administration has no plans for the country, but the United States and Russia share deep concerns about Arctic security as tensions rise between the United States and Russia in the High North and elsewhere.
Rubio praised the role of diplomacy in resolving conflicts as he began a three-nation tour of NATO allies in the Icelandic capital. In Iceland, unease has been stoked by concerns about the Republican government’s often rude and sometimes rude attitude toward traditional friends and partners.
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Rubio’s tour of NATO members will include Greece and Portugal. On Tuesday, he met with Icelandic Foreign Minister Torgedur Catlin Gunnarsdóttir at Hovdi Palace in Reykjavik. It was here that U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev held a 1986 summit, which is widely regarded as the beginning of the end of the Cold War.
“This house symbolizes the role of diplomacy in ending the Cold War and defeating communism,” Rubio posted on social media after the talks, which took place days ahead of the 40th anniversary of the landmark meeting.
However, both Rubio and Gunnarsdottir downplayed the differences between the allies and said both countries were committed to deepening and expanding military and commercial ties. Rubio made it clear that the United States will not take any action in Iceland without Iceland’s consent.
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“We’re open to having these conversations and seeing what we can do together,” he said, noting that the United States had a long-standing military presence in Iceland for decades until 2006, when a shift in priorities led the United States to close its Keflavik base outside Reykjavik. He noted that priorities have changed again.
And he went out of his way to praise Iceland: “We respect the people very much. We respect the role that this country plays, and that’s been the case for a long time,” he said.
Unease persists in Iceland
Iceland has been uneasy about Trump’s intentions after releasing a map showing the U.S. flag’s colors spread across North America and into Iceland and Greenland. The unease persists despite a deal last month to increase the U.S. presence in the neighboring Danish territory of Greenland, which appeared to end Trump’s earlier demands for full U.S. control of Greenland.
But on Tuesday, those tensions appeared to be waning after Rubio held talks with Gunnarsdottir and Icelandic Prime Minister Kristöln Frostdóttir.
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Gunnarsdóttir said the matter has been largely, if not completely, resolved. “We’re still focused on the future,” she said. Rubio, meanwhile, said he was not in Iceland to talk about social media posts. “It’s all very positive,” he said.
Rubio talks about ‘shared priorities’
Before leaving Washington on Monday, Rubio said the visit was aimed at “advancing our shared priorities: a secure Arctic, stronger commercial and energy ties, and closer defense cooperation.” He did not hint at tensions with the island, which, while a member of NATO, does not have a standing military.
However, the map incident alarmed Icelanders, and in response, Gunnarsdóttir summoned U.S. Ambassador Billie Long to a meeting, where she made it clear that the post was unacceptable.
Iceland, just 180 miles (290 kilometers) from Greenland, is already on edge after Trump incorrectly named the country four times when talking about Greenland.
Iceland and US ambassadors disagree
Long, an accomplished former Missouri congressman, IRS commissioner and professional auctioneer, also made a splash in Iceland. Before he took office in August, thousands of Icelanders signed a petition urging the prime minister to reject him after he publicly said earlier this year that Iceland would become the 52nd U.S. state and appoint him governor. He has since apologized for the quip.
Long is not the first Trump ambassador to Iceland to raise concerns with a host government. During Trump’s first term, Ambassador Jeffrey Ross Gunter shocked relatively crime-free Reykjavik locals and prompted complaints by requiring him to hire armed bodyguards.
Rubio may face another ambassadorial controversy when he next stops in Athens. Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said last week that he would investigate allegations of misconduct and misconduct by U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle.
In his letter to Rubio, Meeks said he wanted answers after the Wall Street Journal reported the allegations last month and would call for Guilfoyle to be fired if the conduct outlined in the news report was true.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Guilfoyle told guests at a reception that the United States could weaken the Greek government if it wanted to, promote the business interests of a particular Greek construction and energy company, and allow its lobbyists to participate in private diplomatic meetings.
Some Greek opposition parties have called for an investigation into the allegations, but it is unclear whether they will proceed.
California prosecutor Guilfoyle, the former Fox News Channel host who was engaged to Trump’s son Donald Jr., has denied any wrongdoing and Rubio has previously defended her.
Rubio said after the Journal report was published that Guilfoyle “has been an incredible advocate for the president’s agenda in Greece and across Europe.” Rubio said he and Trump value the ambassador’s “critical work and leadership,” especially on energy issues.
The Trump administration sees Greece as key to promoting and exporting U.S.-produced liquefied natural gas to southeastern and central Europe.
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