Iceland has a population of less than 400,000 people. It is located between North America and Europe, but the Icelanders are trying to balance the interests of both countries.
This is commented by the "Wall Street Journal" (WSJ).
Iceland is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, but does not have a standing army. Although it is "rooted in Europe", it is not part of the European Union. Traditionally a fishing island, it has become a technology center thanks to its abundant geothermal and hydroelectric energy.
For decades, Icelanders have lived a harsh life in peaceful remoteness. Their location in the icy waters between Greenland and Norway offered NATO a Cold War base from which to monitor Soviet naval movements, but the inhabitants are not concerned about the dangers of warships.
Today, the island, which lies south of the Arctic Circle, faces growing risks from increased military activity in the far north as climate change opens up once-impenetrable waterways. At the same time, Iceland is under pressure from growing antagonism between the Trump administration and Europe.
The pressure is also evident in Greenland, about 750 miles away, which President Trump has said he wants the United States to own. Iceland, which is greener and less icy than Greenland, lacks the mineral wealth of the vast Danish territory. Iceland has also long been a useful contributor to U.S. and NATO defense efforts, something that administration officials say has not been the case in Greenland, whose defense is controlled by Denmark.
Iceland, like other Nordic countries, has long tried to keep the Arctic from militarization. Now that that is no longer possible, Icelanders are considering what an expanded defense might look like.
"There has never been public support for a military in Iceland, and I don't think there will be for the foreseeable future. That doesn't mean we can't have active defense and active alliances. "Defense is important," said Prime Minister Kristún Frostadóttir.
It is specified that the Icelandic Coast Guard, which has long existed to protect fishing waters, plays an important role in defense, including in the management of the Keflavik air base and air defense systems.
According to Frostadóttir, who heads the Social Democratic Party, which supports the country's accession to the EU, Icelanders are closely following the developments surrounding Greenland, with which they have close ties.
It is noted that Trump's threats to acquire Greenland are unnerving Icelanders. Frostadóttir wants her country's citizens not to perceive the possible referendum on the resumption of negotiations with the EU as a choice between Europe and the United States.