Rubio begins three-nation NATO tour in Iceland, which is wary of Trump’s Arctic intentions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has begun a three-nation tour of NATO allies with a stop Tuesday in Iceland, where unease persists about the Trump administration’s Arctic intentions even after a deal was reached to… Before the Greenland deal was signed last month, Iceland was an occasional feature of Trump's comments and social media complaints about NATO allies not doing enough to support the U.S.Rubio, who also will visit Greece and Portugal before returning to Washington on Thursday, has often been called upon to mollify and reassure U.S. partners and allies after undiplomatic comments by Trump, including him referring multiple times to Canada as the 51st state and threatening to take over Greenland, a self-governing territory of NATO ally Denmark.In remarks to reporters Monday before leaving Washington, Rubio gave no indication that his mission was to clean up or clarify the administration’s strategy when it comes to the Arctic, NATO or Europe more broadly.

But he did call all three of the countries he will visit “strong allies” that are important for protecting U.S. national interests.Rubio said on social media that his visit to Iceland was meant to “advance our shared priorities: a secure Arctic, stronger commercial and energy ties, and closer defense cooperation.”Last month, however, Trump alarmed Icelanders when he posted a map showing the colors of the U.S. flag sprawling across all of North America and extending to Greenland and Iceland.In response, Iceland Foreign Secretary Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, whom Rubio will meet on Tuesday, summoned U.S.

Ambassador Billy Long to a meeting and said she made it clear that the post was unacceptable.Iceland, which is just 180 miles (290 kilometers) away from Greenland, had already been on edge after Trump mistakenly named the country four times while speaking about Greenland.Long, a colorful former Missouri congressman, IRS commissioner and professional auctioneer, also has made waves in Iceland. Before he took up his post in August, thousands of Icelanders signed a petition urging the prime minister to reject him after he made a crack earlier this year about Iceland becoming the 52nd U.S.