Iceland, the only NATO country without a standing army, begins to rethink its defense policy in the face of escalating activities by Russia and China in the North Atlantic and the Arctic region. As NATO strengthens its military presence on the island, and allies send fighter jets and ships for exercises and surveillance missions, the debate in Reykjavik intensifies regarding Iceland’s ability to defend itself and whether the country should, for the first time, create its own armed forces, according to The Telegraph.
For decades, the island with 400,000 inhabitants has relied on the alliance and a bilateral defense agreement concluded with the United States in 1951 for its protection.
But, as Russia becomes increasingly assertive in the North Atlantic, Iceland is forced to confront a question it has largely avoided: What should its contribution to its own defense look like?
The question has become more urgent in the context where Iceland is preparing to vote, on August 29, whether to reopen negotiations for EU membership. Supporters argue that closer ties with Europe could offer a new level of security.
“It’s clear that if something were to happen in Iceland, we are not capable of defending ourselves,” Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, leader of the opposition Independence Party, told The Telegraph.
The Northern Viking exercise, taking place this month, aims to demonstrate the opposite.
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