Billy Long, the Trump administration’s ambassadorial candidate to Iceland, who has not yet been confirmed by Congress, joked privately this week that the small Arctic nation could become the 52nd U.S. state, apparently implying that Greenland, which still belongs to Denmark, could become the 51st state.
This joke didn’t seem funny to European countries and politicians in Iceland, which is geographically located in the Western Hemisphere, and over two thousand citizens of this European-majority country signed a petition in one day to revoke their approval for the American ambassador.
Commentators on this incident are apparently left wondering whether this joke was the product of the cheerful and playful, and at the same time irresponsible nature of the American ambassadorial candidate, or whether he acted as a decoy to determine the reaction of Europe and Iceland to the real-life multi-stage plan to consolidate all states and territories in the Western Hemisphere under U.S. leadership in accordance with NSS-2025.
Was It Really A Joke Or Something More?
The Icelandic Foreign Ministry has contacted the U.S. embassy following the alleged comments by the ambassador-designate that Iceland should belong to the United States. This is stated in the ministry’s written response to a news agency’s inquiry.
“The State Department has contacted the U.S. Embassy in Iceland to verify the veracity of the alleged comments,” the department said in a written response.
Disrespect In The United States Towards The Sovereignty Of Small States
About a thousand people have signed a petition calling on Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir to reject Long as ambassador. The Icelandic government can notify a sending state that an ambassador is not eligible to receive an ambassador under Article 9 of the Vienna Convention. It also states that a sending state must ensure that the receiving state grants recognition.
Sigmar Guðmundsson, a member of parliament for Viðreisn, is on the Foreign Affairs Committee and discussed Long’s alleged comments in the Althingi this morning, January 15.
“This is, of course, not a particularly funny joke in light of the debate that is currently underway in the West about Greenland. And in fact, these are actually quite serious comments. But this perhaps tells us quite a lot, unfortunately, about the disrespect that is taking hold in the United States towards the sovereignty of small states. It goes without saying that this is extremely serious for a small country like Iceland.”
Sigmar said that there is a serious shake-up in the international system. All the security arguments that the Americans make against Greenland also apply to Iceland. Both Iceland and Greenland are strategically important islands.
“We must also have the courage, Icelanders, despite the fact that we have had great friendly relations with the United States, not least through NATO, to discuss where our security interests are and how our security interests are best placed in this changed world. It is a very simple discussion that we must dare to have. Do we still share the values with those who rule in the White House?”
A Petition To Reject U.S. Ambassador
Neither the U.S. administration nor Billy Long have confirmed—or denied—that the comments were made.
Long briefly served as Director of Revenue and Customs of the United States, but Trump fired him after only two months in the role—and then nominated him the same day as ambassador to Iceland.
His nomination has not been confirmed, as this is a matter for the U.S. Senate.
Jón Axel Ólafsson, a media personality and more, created a petition urging Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir to reject Long as ambassador.
So far, over two and a half thousand people have signed a petition calling on Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to reject Long as ambassador. The Icelandic state can notify the sending state that an ambassador is unacceptable under Article 9 of the Vienna Convention.
Petition
Þorgerður Katrín to reject Billy Long as U.S. ambassador to Iceland
Billy Long, told members of Congress in the U.S. Congress that Iceland should become the 52nd state of the United States and he should be governor. These words by Billy Long, who Donald Trump has nominated as ambassador to Iceland, may have been spoken in a half-hearted manner, but they are offensive to Iceland and Icelanders, who have had to fight for their freedom and have always been friends of the United States.
We want Þorgerður Katrín to reject Billy Long as ambassador to Iceland and call for the United States to nominate another person who shows Iceland and Icelanders more respect.
An Apology That Didn’t Calm Anyone Down
Billy Long, a potential U.S. ambassador to Iceland, has apologized for his comments about making Iceland the 52nd state of the United States. It was only a joke.
Arctic Today reports that Long has apologized for his comments.
“It was nothing serious, I was with people I hadn’t seen in three years and they were joking about Jeff Landry becoming governor of Greenland and then they started joking with me and if anyone took it badly, I apologize,” Long is quoted as saying.
His comments sparked great anger in Iceland. Sigmar Guðmundsson, a member of parliament for Viðreisn, said the joke was not funny in a speech in the Althingi this morning. Such jokes threaten the sovereignty of small states, including Iceland.
In the interview, Long said he had not heard of the reaction in Iceland to the comments. He also did not know that the Foreign Ministry had contacted the U.S. embassy to check the veracity of his words, as Rúv reported.
However, he says he understands the reaction given that U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants the United States to acquire Greenland, despite the fact that both Denmark and Greenlanders do not take it seriously.
Source:
- Ruv (in Icelandic)
- Island
- Ruv, Politico report: Trump’s ambassador-designate jokes that Iceland will become part of the U.S. (in Icelandic)
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