“These are perilous times, and NATO member states must face the seriousness of the threats to their security and democracy.”
These are the opening words of a report by a cross-party consultation group of Icelandic MPs published in September 2025. The report is titled The Content and Priorities of Iceland’s Defence and Security Policy.
The report states that the security threat facing NATO is both real and urgent.
If there were a pause in the war in Ukraine—allowing Russia to move its forces away from Ukraine and toward NATO’s borders—leading NATO member states assess that within two years, Russia could rebuild its forces to the point of being able to threaten one or more NATO member states and potentially invade countries around the Baltic Sea.
“Within five years, Russia will have the capability to launch a major war against NATO member states in Europe. This assessment assumes that NATO members fail to act and do not strengthen their deterrence through the necessary build-up of preparedness,” the report says.
Iceland Must Take Action Like Other NATO Countries
The report makes clear that Iceland faces the same type of threat as all other NATO states. The authors conclude that Iceland, like other members, must take measures to safeguard the nation’s security and contribute to the collective defence of NATO countries.
They describe threats in two main categories: those that can cause physical destruction or damage to critical infrastructure, and those that undermine trust and create instability, such as through targeted disinformation campaigns or efforts to weaken democratic institutions.
Cross-Party Consultation Group
This is the first time Iceland’s defence and security policy has been formally defined.
In March, Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir presented a proposal to the government to develop such a policy. Following this, each parliamentary party was invited to nominate representatives to a cross-party consultation group.
The report will form the basis for a comprehensive defence and security policy, which the Foreign Minister plans to present to Parliament this autumn.
Goal: Protect Iceland’s Independence And Sovereignty
The report states that the primary objective of Iceland’s defence policy in the coming years is to credibly safeguard the nation’s independence and sovereignty, including unquestioned control over its territory and natural resources.
As Iceland is a military-free nation, cooperation with other countries is essential for ensuring its defence against potential military threats, as well as against the growing, multifaceted non-military threats the country faces.
Building Civil Resilience Is Essential
The report outlines that Iceland’s international defence cooperation relies on a three-pronged approach. NATO membership is the cornerstone of collective defence, complemented by the bilateral defence agreement with the United States. Bilateral and regional cooperation with neighboring countries also supports and reinforces these two main pillars.
Discussing The Establishment Of An Icelandic Military With NATO Chief Of Staff
A consultative group on the content and emphases of defence and security policy discussed the establishment of an Icelandic military with senior NATO officials in September. The conclusion was that Iceland should focus on its strengths as a host country.
The establishment of an Icelandic army was among the items discussed in the Foreign Minister’s consultative group that prepared a report on the content and emphases of Iceland’s defence and security policy. The consultative group discussed this possibility with senior officials within NATO and the European Union, but came to the conclusion that Iceland should rather focus on its strengths as a host country.
This was stated at a meeting where the consultative group’s report was presented. Minister of Foreign Affairs Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir addressed the meeting guests together with Aðalsteinn Leifsson, who led the work. Afterwards, representatives of the working group participated in a panel discussion.
The panel took questions from the audience, some of which focused on the possibility of establishing an Icelandic military. Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, representing the Independence Party, Pawel Bartoszek, representing the Viðreisnar Party, and Dagur B. Eggertsson, representing the Samfylkingin Party, responded to the questions and said that Iceland’s funds would be better spent on making Iceland an excellent host country for the armies of allied countries.
What Is A Host Country?
Dagur said that the establishment of an army had been systematically discussed with representatives of the European Union and NATO.
“I was shocked when I asked the commander of NATO and the United States whether we should establish an army because I didn’t know what to make of the answer if he had said yes,” said Dagur. “He said the responses were that Iceland should focus more on the civil institutional environment, processes, building preparedness, and being a good host country.”
Source:
- ruv.is (in Icelandic)
- Iceland Monitor
- Integrated Country Strategy, Iceland
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