Iceland review - 2019, Síða 17

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Iceland Review
the area, this is an important issue for the
people of the Arctic, the least populated
area in the world. Iceland doesn’t have an
army, instead relying on defence co-opera-
tion and diplomatic negotiations for safety.
If the global superpowers’ struggle for
economic influence in the area intensifies,
that could spell trouble for a small nation
that relies on soft power.
National Security
Minister for Foreign Affairs Guðlaugur Þór
has stated that “It’s evident that there’s
increased interest and emphasis on the
Arctic and the Arctic Ocean from the
superpowers, as well as others. […] There
hasn’t been much military development in
the area. And we want to make sure it stays
that way.”
But that might prove more difficult
than anticipated. Iceland is a founding
member of NATO, and the US military has
long had a base on the Reykjanes penin-
sula. Recently, increased US spending in
the base’s renovation have caused a stir,
and Pence emphasised the importance
of the defence agreement during his visit
to Iceland recently. Iceland’s continued
defence co-operation with the US and
NATO has always muddied the waters and
increased defence costs and military exer-
cises in Iceland have roused strong opposi-
tion. Increased military activity by Russia
in the area might be one of the reasons why
the US are fortifying their position, as ever
since the Cold War, Iceland has been in a
strategically important spot between the
two countries.
Historian Sumarliði Ísleifsson has
stated that increased interest is not nec-
essarily in the best interest of the people
of the Arctic. According to Sumarliði, the
Icelandic government should speak clearly
of their intent to keep the Arctic peaceful.
Military exercises should have no place
here, and Iceland should do its best to
avoid getting dragged into an arms race.
He told Iceland’s national broadcaster
RÚV, “The more low-key the politics in the
area are, the better.” Eiríkur Bergmann,
professor of political science, considers it a
matter of worry how the US approaches the
countries in the Arctic. President Trump’s
attempt to purchase Greenland shows his
attitude towards the people of the Arctic
and might portray the lack of respect and
knowledge international political leaders
have for the region's inhabitants.
Do we even have a say in the matter?
International cooperation and bureau-
cratic regulations and negotiations
might not make the best headlines but
it’s the best bet Iceland and the other
Arctic countries have to keep the power
over their resources and land in their
own hands. As the Arctic keeps getting
hotter, both literally and as a topic, both
industry and political leaders are going
to want to jump on the opportunities that
present themselves. While the soft power
of diplomacy might feel like David facing
the Goliath of brute military force, let’s
not forget who won that one.