Reykjavik expressed concern about the United States' growing territorial ambitions. This is a reaction to POLITICO's report: President Donald Trump's nominee for US ambassador to Iceland, Billy Long, joked in Washington that Iceland will become the 52nd US state, and he will become its governor.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contacted the United States Embassy in Iceland to… verify the truthfulness of the alleged statements“, the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement sent to POLITICO.
In the years 2011-2023 Billy Long was a Republican congressman representing Missouri. From June to August 2025, he headed the IRS, the US tax office. January 13 this year President Trump nominated Long to be the new U.S. ambassador to Iceland, replacing Carrin Patman.
After reports of Long's statement, Icelanders published a petition on the Internet in which: they call on their foreign minister to reject his candidacy. Over 2,000 people have already signed the petition. people. “The words of Billy Long, whom Donald Trump nominated as ambassador to Iceland, although they may have been said half-jokingly, are offensive to Iceland and its people, who had to fight for their freedom and have always been friends of the United States,” we read.
“We want to [ministra spraw zagranicznych] Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir rejected Billy Long's candidacy for ambassador and called on the United States to nominate another person who will show more respect to Iceland and Icelanders” – added.
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Unfavorable context. All of Europe is looking towards Greenland
Long's joke came at an awkward moment against the backdrop of diplomatic tensions over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. Donald Trump threatens to seize it, even using military force. He claims that the US “must have Greenland for national security reasons.”
European leaders support the people of Greenland, who have repeatedly said they do not want to be US citizens, and are trying to reach an agreement to avert a potential conflict that Denmark warns could break up NATO.
Greenland, January 13, 2026Lokman Vural Elibol / Anadolu/ABACAPRESS.COM / PAP
On Wednesday, amid these diplomatic tensions, the Foreign Ministers of Denmark and Greenland, Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Vivian Motzfeldt, met at the White House with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance.
Denmark and the USA still cannot reach an agreement. “Fundamental difference of opinion”
“The discussion was not fruitful enough for us to come to a conclusion where our American colleagues would have said, 'We're sorry, it was a complete misunderstanding, we've given up on our ambitions,'” Rasmussen admitted to reporters after having what he described as a “frank” exchange with Vance and Marco Rubio.
“The president wants to conquer Greenland,” added the head of Danish diplomacy. — Ideas for us that do not respect the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark or the right of self-determination of the people of Greenlandare of course completely unacceptable. Therefore, there is still a fundamental difference of opinion between us. We agree to disagree.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Vivian Motzfeldt, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and Greenland. Washington, January 14, 2026PAP/EPA/SHAWN THEW
Future talks, he said, must respect the “red lines” drawn by Greenland and Denmark. Rasmussen added that he hopes that the working group will help ease the “tension” around this issuewhen he starts work in the coming weeks.
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