USAupdated 58m ago2 min read
Marco Rubio Says U.S. Expands Security Cooperation With Iceland To Counter China And Russia
US to deepen military cooperation with Iceland to boost Arctic security. Iceland is a critical outpost central to North Atlantic and Arctic defense.
13 outlets told this the same way.
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Rubio targets Arctic security
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is strengthening security cooperation with Iceland as Washington seeks to block the influence of China and Russia in the Arctic region.
Rubio told reporters that "Iceland occupies a highly critical strategic position for our collective security," during a press briefing after a meeting with Icelandic diplomatic officials on the 6th (local time).
Rubio said the United States is open to expanding bilateral security cooperation, and he linked Iceland's airfields and ports, surveillance capabilities and technology to that effort.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Rubio's visit to Iceland was intended to deliver U.S. President Donald Trump's "Arctic initiative," as the United States expands its military influence in the Arctic.
Reuters said Rubio described Iceland as a place where the United States could use "your land, your air, your sea" to gain a "critical outpost for monitoring clandestine behaviour and deterring our adversaries."
Iceland, NATO, and bases
Rubio said Iceland has long been a "critical outpost" for security, as his country pushes for greater American influence in the Arctic region. AFP said Rubio's trip came after Trump threatened to buy or annex Greenland and after the United States signed a security pact with Denmark and Greenland in late September that would allow Washington to establish two new military bases there. Reuters said Rubio described Iceland as central to the defence of the North Atlantic and Arctic regions as threats grow, and he said Washington would be open to exploring closer cooperation.
ABC reported that Rubio said, at a joint press conference in Reykjavik with Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, that Iceland's contribution is infrastructure and technology and the ability to monitor. AFP said Rubio arrived in Reykjavik on Monday and held talks with Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir and top diplomat Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir, covering topics including geothermal energy, data centres and the pharmaceutical industry.
After Greenland, Rubio moves on
Rubio's Iceland visit followed the United States signing with Denmark and Greenland a defense agreement in September that would allow Washington to establish two new military bases in Greenland, drawing the autonomous Danish territory further into the American orbit. AFP said Rubio later left Iceland for Athens to participate in a "strategic dialogue" with NATO member Greece on regional and energy security, after he wrapped up his European tour with a brief stop in Lisbon. Reuters said Rubio framed the cooperation as a way to "secure your realm" and said "Today, those threats are growing."
Tvn Panamá said Rubio told a news conference that Iceland has long served as a "strategic bastion to monitor clandestine activities and deter our adversaries," and it described Iceland as relying heavily on the United States for security. En Mayúscula said Rubio told a news conference that Iceland has long been a 'strategic bastion' for security, and it said the island has never had an army since gaining independence in 1944.