A remark reportedly made in jest by President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Iceland has sparked diplomatic unease and public outrage in the Nordic island nation, underscoring growing sensitivities around sovereignty in the Arctic amid renewed American rhetoric on territorial expansion.
Billy Long, a former Republican congressman from Missouri and Trump’s pick to serve as ambassador to Iceland, issued an apology after reports emerged that he had joked about Iceland becoming the 52nd state of the United States. The comment, though described by Long as lighthearted and unserious, was met with a frosty response in Reykjavik, where officials and citizens alike viewed it as deeply inappropriate in the current geopolitical climate.
Speaking to Arctic Today, an Alaska-based outlet, Long attempted to defuse the controversy, saying, “There was nothing serious about it. If anyone took offense to it, then I apologize.” He did not directly confirm the exact wording of his remarks. However, according to reports, Long was overheard on the House floor joking that Iceland could become the 52nd U.S. state and that he would be appointed its governor.
Long later explained that the comment arose during a casual exchange involving Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, whom President Trump has named as a special envoy to Greenland. “They were kidding about Jeff Landry being governor of Greenland and they started joking about me,” Long said, suggesting the remark was part of a broader, informal conversation rather than a policy statement.
Iceland Pushes Back
The explanation did little to calm concerns in Iceland. The country’s foreign ministry confirmed that it had contacted the U.S. embassy in Reykjavik to “examine the truthfulness of the alleged comments,” signaling that the issue was being taken seriously at the highest diplomatic levels.
Sigmar Guðmundsson, a member of Iceland’s Parliament who serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee, offered a stark assessment. “These are not particularly funny remarks,” he said in an interview with the national broadcaster. “In fact, these are really rather serious remarks. Perhaps this tells us quite a lot, unfortunately, about the disrespect that is taking root in the United States towards the sovereignty of small states.”
Guðmundsson added that such comments strike at the core of national security concerns for smaller nations. “There is no need to say much more than that this is extremely serious for a small country like Iceland,” he said.
Public reaction was swift. More than 3,500 Icelanders signed a petition urging their government to exercise its right to reject foreign ambassadors and deny Long the opportunity to represent the United States in the country. “These words by Billy Long may have been spoken in a half-hearted manner, but they are insulting to Iceland and Icelanders,” the petition stated.
Shadow of Greenland Looms Large
The controversy has unfolded against the backdrop of President Trump’s repeated assertions that the United States should acquire Greenland, an autonomous territory under Danish sovereignty. Trump has publicly stated that Greenland would become part of the U.S. “one way or the other” and has refused to rule out the use of military force, remarks that have alarmed European allies.
While neither Trump nor senior members of his administration have expressed formal interest in annexing Iceland, the timing of Long’s comments has amplified fears that even joking references to territorial expansion could signal a broader mindset. A recent public opinion poll indicates that most Americans oppose the use of force to acquire Greenland, reflecting domestic skepticism toward such ambitions.
Iceland and Greenland: Similar Geography, Different Status
Though often grouped together geographically, Iceland and Greenland occupy very different political realities. Iceland is a fully sovereign nation that declared independence from Denmark in 1944. Greenland, by contrast, remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark, though it enjoys wide-ranging self-rule in domestic affairs.
Iceland’s population is roughly seven times larger than Greenland’s, and its economy is estimated to be nearly ten times bigger. These distinctions have heightened Icelandic sensitivity to any suggestion, even in jest, that its sovereignty could be questioned.
Before the uproar surrounding Long’s remarks, Iceland’s most internationally known cultural figure, musician Björk, voiced support for Greenlanders in a social media post. Reflecting on the region’s colonial history, she wrote, “Colonialism has repeatedly given me horror chills up my back, and the chance that my fellow Greenlanders might go from one cruel coloniser to another is too brutal to even imagine. Declare independence!”
A Diplomatic Test Ahead
As Billy Long awaits confirmation, the episode has become an early test of how U.S.–Iceland relations may navigate the increasingly sensitive geopolitics of the Arctic. For Iceland, the incident has reinforced the importance of diplomatic respect and clarity. For Washington, it serves as a reminder that even casual remarks can carry significant weight when questions of sovereignty and power are involved.
