If Iceland is planning to send “specialists” to Ukraine — since we famously don’t have any soldiers — perhaps we should also send a philosopher. Someone to help explain how a country that claims to be morally opposed to war can actively participate in one.
Because right now, Iceland’s foreign policy under Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir sounds a lot like that drunk guest at a party shouting, “I hate drama!” right before flipping over the table and setting the napkins on fire.
For decades, Icelanders have proudly identified as a peaceful nation. We have no military, and not because of geographic isolation or financial limits, but by deliberate choice. From the founding of the republic in 1944, we’ve stood by the principle that we will never use weapons against another country. It has been a cornerstone of our national identity — a moral commitment, not a strategic convenience.
But now, under the banner of justice and support for Ukraine, the Foreign Minister has decided that Iceland should play an active role in warfare. Not with guns — no, we are a peaceful, weaponless nation — but with “specialists,” who are likely members of elite police units or the coast guard. People who are very much trained in tactical response, and very much capable of armed support if the situation requires it.
So what are we calling this? Peacekeeping? Civilian expertise? Or just good old-fashioned military participation wearing a different name tag?
It doesn’t really matter what’s printed on the uniform. If you send someone into a war zone to support one side in an armed conflict, you are a participant. Full stop.
There’s a glaring contradiction here: Iceland, the country that supposedly condemns all violence and opposes the use of force, is now preparing to join a war that it is neither obligated to enter nor strategically connected to. We are not part of the EU. We are not a military power. We don’t share a border with Ukraine. And yet, we’ve chosen a side — not with words, but with action.
To be clear, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal and immoral. It deserves to be condemned. But condemnation is not the same as intervention. And up to now, Iceland has always held the line — choosing to remain morally firm by staying out of the fight, rather than pretending to uphold peace while quietly taking part in the conflict.
Now, under Þorgerður Katrín’s direction, that line is gone. Iceland is no longer content to be a moral observer. We are becoming a participant — just without the honesty of saying so.
It might be more straightforward to admit it: Iceland has taken a side in this war and believes that, in this case, violence is justified. Because today, we are not just watching the war unfold. We are stepping into it — whether we call it that or not.”
