Says Iceland is also on the front line

All NATO member states now stand on the front line when it comes to defending the security of the alliance.

This was stated by Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO, at a press conference with Prime Minister KristrúnFrostadóttir moments ago.

Article on Iceland Monitor

Rutte received a warm welcome in Iceland by the Minister of Foreign Affairs

He referred to a poem by the Icelandic poet Hulda, which he had been introduced to earlier today, in which she wrote of Iceland’s distance from the world’s battlefields.

The poem’s first stanza reads as follows in a loose translation:

Who has a fairer fatherland,

with mountains, valleys, blue-lit sand,

with northern lights that arch and stand

and birch and spring on hillside?

With peaceful farms, with light and song,

so far from warpaths loud and long.

Guard, Lord, our precious land so grand

when earth is shaken wide.

Rutte said that this sentiment no longer holds true; today, all member states of the alliance stand on the front line.

He pointed out that Russia’s newest missiles have extremely long range.

Iceland increasing hosting capacity

Frostadóttir said the Icelandic government is well aware that the security landscape in the region is shifting and that Iceland takes its role seriously.

The country is increasing its capacity to host and support allied forces.

She said the investment in Helguvík, announced this morning, is an example of how NATO-related activities can also create local jobs.

Difficult but necessary decisions

Frostadóttir said she believes the alliance has never been stronger.

Rutte said Frostadóttir’s government has ambitious plans to make difficult but necessary decisions regarding increased defense spending.

He added that Iceland has always punched above its weight. Rutte, who previously served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands, said he vividly remembers Iceland’s men’s football team defeating the Dutch team in 2015.

He also noted that he had flown over the Reykjanes Peninsula and described the protective barriers built against volcanic eruptions near Grindavík as a testament to Icelandic ingenuity and resilience.

A unique nation

“Iceland is unique because you have no military. But as a nation you serve as the eyes and ears of many NATO countries,” the Secretary General said.

One of the things Iceland does best, he added, is hosting forces from other allied nations.

Frostadóttir said it is important to meet regularly, as they did today, and to consider the capabilities of each member state and how each can contribute to the alliance.

Rutte recalled that Iceland was one of the twelve founding members of NATO.

“Iceland is a very important ally, and you have been there from the beginning.”