Jón Gnarr rejects portrayal of US as Iceland’s ‘major enemy’

Jón Gnarr, an MP for Viðreisn, says there is no reason to view the United States as Iceland’s enemy despite controversial remarks by US President Donald Trump, including comments about Greenland, mbl.is reported.

“I cannot agree that the United States could somehow be our major enemy,” Jón said on Morgunblaðið’s Dagmál programme.

He described Trump’s remarks about Greenlanders as serious and unfair but warned against allowing them to define the entire relationship between Iceland and the United States.

“The United States has, for the most part, shown us friendship and respect, and we often have shared interests with the United States in various areas,” Jón said.

He added that the United States had been a strong ally and good friend to Iceland, saying there was no need to create more disagreement than the circumstances warranted.

Þórarinn Ingi Pétursson, an MP for the Progressive Party, agreed that Trump’s remarks had been inappropriate while emphasising Iceland’s defence cooperation with the United States and NATO.

“Presidents come and go, but nations are always there,” Þórarinn said. He believes Iceland should strengthen its ties with the United States rather than encourage fear.

Both MPs stressed that the US president’s remarks about Greenland should be taken seriously because they had had real and negative effects on Greenlandic society.

EU fallout and urban rural divide

In Dagmál, the MPs also discussed the aftermath of the referendum on negotiations over Iceland’s membership of the European Union and the clear divide between the capital and rural areas revealed by the result.

An excerpt from the programme is available in the video player, while subscribers can watch the full episode.