Dear guests,
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, is the most powerful defence alliance in history. For 75 years, it has protected the peace of the North Atlantic region, and to this day member countries have the most powerful security guarantee available in an increasingly insecure world.
Therefore, it was truly a blessing that Iceland should become one of the twelve founding countries of the Alliance, and to this day, when the Alliance has grown to 32 members, Iceland still benefits from that decision.
However, it is well known that not all Icelanders thought that Iceland should take part.
We were then – and still are – the smallest nation in the Alliance.
We were then – and still are – the only allied nation without our own armed forces.
And – we were then – and still are – a shining example that the Alliance is not only founded around the narrow defence interests of the allied nations.
Until the Second World War, Icelanders favoured neutrality. For a nation that only five years earlier had declared independence from Denmark, it was thus a major change of policy to become a member of a defence alliance.
Even Bjarni Benediktsson, the then-Foreign Minister, who signed the North Atlantic Treaty on Iceland’s behalf on the fourth of April 1949, said in his speech at the signing ceremony in Washington that Icelanders had had doubts about the membership. But then he recalled that during World War II, which was still fresh in people’s memory at the time, the British, and then the Americans, had defended Iceland. In his words:
“Our participation in this pact shows that for our sake, as well as for the sake of others, we want similar to have arrangements in case of a new war, which we hope and pray will never occur.”
I find his emphasis interesting, that our membership was not only about ensuring our own defences, which we would be unable to carry out by ourselves, but about contributing to the common defence of the global architecture that is the basis of our free society.
The Alliance is not just about counting tanks and frigates; and its object is not only to defend every inch of the Allied territory; NATO is also a political alliance of democracies.
And it is a coveted club that sets benchmarks for applicant countries and encourages partner countries to improve. In this way, the Alliance creates stability in the political field and has thus been a force for democracy and reform in Europe.
These great advantages are visible today, and NATO membership enjoys overwhelming support among the Icelandic public.
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75 years ago, Europe was in ruins and the Soviet Union – Russia – was increasing its hold on the eastern part of the continent, including by annexing neighbouring countries that had previously been independent.
The future was uncertain then.
And what is the situation in the world today?
Russians are advancing and trying to annex Ukraine by armed force. They do not hesitate to destroy civilian infrastructure, bomb towns and cities, and kill innocent civilians. Russians threaten other countries that the Kremlin considers to be in its sphere of influence. They threaten neighbouring countries and constantly threaten to use nuclear weapons.
They use cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns to cause confusion, disharmony and distrust within societies that are based on the democratic values that have brought humanity an era of unique peace and prosperity.
The future is still uncertain.
***
Dear guests.
Icelanders are not just spectators to Russia’s attempts to cause mayhem. A variety of threats can befall our society; both directly and indirectly. We know, for example, that the Russians have mapped submarine cables and other critical infrastructure.
Then there is the strategically important location of Iceland, which made Iceland a potential target for the Germans in World War II, and which is even more important now in the event of a serious escalation or conflict between the West and Russia.
This, of course, means that contrary to a common notion, that our NATO membership makes us a more likely potential target than otherwise, is to say the least a far cry from reality. I generally practice moderation in my speech; but this statement is in my opinion pure nonsense – Iceland without the deterrence of NATO membership, with the same geographical importance – would obviously be an enormously valuable spoils of war for the Russians in the event of a real conflict.
All this underlines the importance of NATO in uncertain times.
Although the Washington Treaty still stands, the cooperation between the member countries is alive and the Alliance has matured and developed during its lifetime. It does not only cover defence on land, air, and sea, but also in the space and cyber domains.
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We Icelanders value peace greatly and want to ensure that relations between nations are characterized by respect, equality, and harmony. And – the word peace is not infrequently heard in the speeches of candidates in the Icelandic presidential elections these days. And indeed, the Icelandic nation, like all other nations, has an interest in peace prevailing all around us.
Unfortunately, the concept of peace is often set up ideologically as being the opposite of defence.
I have allowed myself to comment when I hear hinted or implied that Icelanders are more peace-loving than other nations. This is of course absurd.
There are both historical and other reasons why we are one of the few nations without an army, but it is not because we are more peace-loving than others.
The difference between us Icelanders and those who have had to defend themselves from other countries’ invasions or have been forced to take part in invasions of other countries, is simple. We have been lucky.
And one can indeed be grateful for luck, but one cannot allow oneself to brag about it.
***
My colleague from Lithuania, Gabrielius Landsbergis, will talk to us later today. Lithuanians are spending 2.7 percent of GDP on military defence this year. It is not because Lithuanians want war, but on the contrary to ensure peace. Stand up for freedom.
Lithuania, like the other Baltic states, has known both war, vulnerability, occupation, and terror. The Baltic States were keen to join NATO and they celebrate 20 years of membership in the Alliance this year. NATO membership is the basis of the sovereignty of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and every single human being in these countries understands it.
This understanding also exists among our friends in the Nordic countries. Denmark plans to increase defence spending and military conscription will soon cover both men and women. Last month, the Norwegian government presented a 12-year plan to strengthen their armed forces. A similar story can be told about the newly allied countries Sweden and Finland, who are now not expecting to take care of their defence alone, but as part of an alliance of democratic countries.
We Icelanders are also strengthening our defences. Although we are without our own army, we are not without our own defence. And we look for every way to contribute where we can.
Our biggest single contribution to NATO is and always will be Iceland’s geographical position in the middle of the North Atlantic and the facilities we can provide.
We operate the Icelandic integrated air defence system, critical defence infrastructure and provide host country support at the Keflavík Air Base.
We monitor air traffic in a large area around the country and enable our allies to monitor traffic in the deep.
In Keflavík, activities have grown greatly in recent years, especially in connection with submarine detection by the United States and other allied countries. They will continue to grow, and with that we underline Iceland’s active, living, and mutual defence commitments and strong contribution. Thus, B-2 bombers have arrived here to carry out deterrence operations in the northern part of Europe and elsewhere. US nuclear-powered submarines can now change crews in Iceland and resupply to extend their endurance in the North Atlantic.
We send experts to the Alliance’s military commands, both at its headquarters in Europe and North America, and to NATO’s forces in the Baltic States to support the Alliance’s capabilities and ensure common defence interests.
Defence exercises are another important part of our defence cooperation and reaffirm our ability and willingness to respond to crises. Here at home, we need to ensure that we can support and work with incoming troops in times of tension and conflict. Next autumn, the US-Icelandic defence exercise, Northern Viking 2024, will take place, where we will better integrate Icelandic responders into joint response plans.
With all of this, we contribute to ensuring the Alliance’s credible defence capacity – and thus Iceland’s defence capacity – against, among other things, aggressive tyrants who are not afraid to invade the borders of independent states, to use hybrid attacks against anyone and to threaten the world with nuclear annihilation at any given time.
***
Dear guests.
Now 75 years old, NATO is facing one of its greatest challenges since its inception. For almost half a century, the boundaries were clear, and the world was divided in two.
After the liberation of Eastern Europe and the collapse of the Soviet Union, a period of de-escalation took place, when democracy, market economies and, yes, peaceful relations seemed destined to become the norm, the commonplace and the self-evident, around the world.
In the West, we welcomed this new situation. It was possible to build a global market economy where goods and services flowed between countries and continents, to the benefit of consumers. Manufacturers could depend on reliable supply chains, and consumers could choose what was cheapest and best – whether it was made in China, Canada, Kazakhstan or Kópavogur. And the government could spend money on things other than military defence.
It is not a comfortable thought that this situation is a thing of the past. The world view that many of us grew up with is on the wane. We can hope for its return, but we cannot expect it, much less assume it. We must deal with the world as it is.
Today’s task is to respond to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine in such a way that the dictatorial forces fall, and democratic Ukraine is allowed to flourish. Now it is up to us who believe in democracy, individual freedom, and the rule of law – as stated in the North Atlantic Treaty – to have each other’s back.
There is work to be done. We need to strengthen our own defences and we need to support Ukraine’s defence, because courage alone must not be their only armour. The war may be fought in Ukraine, but it affects us all and the basic values we depend on. As stated in a parliamentary resolution approved by Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament, on April 29, this year:
“By supporting the security and independence of Ukraine, the government stands guard over Iceland’s direct security interests, the international system and international law on which Iceland’s sovereignty is based.”
In other words, our support for Ukraine is based directly on our own fundamental interests.
According to this parliamentary resolution, our support in the coming years will align with the support of other Nordic countries and will come as an addition to existing financial commitments to foreign affairs, defence, and development.
***
Dear guests.
At the same time, we intend to strengthen our own defences. I believe that a gradual awakening is taking place in this country regarding defence issues. However, it happens more slowly than in the countries around us. As the other Nordic countries realize, being in a defence alliance and at the same time strengthening one’s own defences goes hand in hand. Although we are few, we are not small. Although we don’t have an army, we do have defences. While we rely on the assistance of our NATO allies, we also do our part.
And let’s also keep in mind what has changed in the 75 years since Iceland became a founding member of NATO. Iceland is no longer one of the poorest countries in Europe. We are one of the richest. Our infrastructure is strong. With this success of ours comes, of course, an obligation to do our part. And we should be willing to take on that obligation.
We need to respond to changing security conditions. We do that by closing ranks with other democracies. We do this by building up our own defences while contributing to the collective defence of our allies. We do it by working hard, do things well and face our threats head on.
And we need to grow up. When peace is threatened in Europe, it concerns us and when it comes to doing our part in supporting those who do what is needed, we should not ask first what’s in it for us, but whether we can contribute something of what is most urgently needed.
On my watch, Iceland has therefore not shied away from contributing to a fund that is intended to help Ukrainians defend themselves against the Russian invaders. This means that together with traditional humanitarian support, Iceland has been willing to invest in funds intended for the purchase of military equipment for Ukraine.
The fact is, we are not neutral, and we have obligations towards the countries that have promised to protect us with weapons and manpower if necessary.
We ourselves hope that our allies would send support in more forms than bandages and blankets if we were attacked.
***
Dear guests.
In an interview with Morgunblaðið on the twentieth anniversary of NATO, Bjarni Benediktsson said that he could not recall having done a better job than playing a part in Iceland’s membership of the Alliance. The passing of time has confirmed Bjarni’s assessment. The courage and bravery shown by our forerunners ensured that we do not stand alone but are an integral part of the defence of Western democracies. Therein lies great strength. It is a deterrent. That means more security.
My message to the following discussions, therefore, is this: We are facing a real threat. With its all-out invasion of Ukraine, Russia not only declared war on Ukraine, but trampled on the foundations of peaceful international relations, including the UN Charter.
A self-respecting nation does not sit on the sidelines and bury its head in the sand, hoping that attention will not be directed at it. On the contrary, I believe that we Icelanders have every reason to be proud of the fact that we took part in establishing the most powerful peace alliance in the world, an alliance where the member states, individually and collectively, are determined to “safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilisation of their peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law.”- as stated in the founding charter of NATO.
Like people all over the world, we want peace, but we also know that these are values worth fighting for. And people in Ukraine die every day in that fight.
I look forward to the discussion and thank Varðberg, the Organization for Western Cooperation and International Affairs, and the Institute of International Affairs for hosting this event together with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
Thank you.