Joint press conference

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Prime Minister Frostadóttir, dear Kristrún, it is a pleasure indeed to be back in Reykjavík. This is the northernmost capital in NATO, I think even in the whole world. And I want to thank you for your warm welcome, for the friendship. And it is great to see you now in Reykjavík.

Since you took office - it is now almost a year ago, I think, in December - you have made Iceland's continued commitment to NATO clear. Very clear. And your government has ambitious plans to take the hard, but I believe also the necessary, decisions required to increase defence and security related spending, and for this, I commend you. For a nation without armed forces, this is no small task. But Iceland has always punched above its weight. Believe me, I remember very well when the Icelandic national football team beat the Netherlands in Amsterdam in 2015.

I also welcome your leadership, Kristrún, on Iceland's first formal policy on defence issues, which was presented to the parliament earlier this month, and this will further strengthen NATO's deterrence and defence.

Iceland, as we know, is a founding member of our Alliance. Your strategic position underpins security for North America and Europe at sea, below the surface, and in the air above. You operate critical air defence and surveillance systems as part of NATO's Integrated Air and Missile Defence. And you provide facilities, infrastructure, and host nation support at Keflavík for regular air policing. And indeed, that was a very impressive visit.

Your leadership on resilience and civil preparedness is second to none. Earlier today, indeed, with Foreign Minister Gunnarsdóttir, I flew over the Southern peninsula where repeated volcanic eruptions have forced the people of Grindavík to leave their homes again and again. The lava barriers built to protect the town and critical infrastructure are impressive and very practical. So, Iceland has also here shown that commitment, ingenuity and resilience, and that combination of commitment, ingenuity and resilience, that they matter.

We are now halfway between the Summit in The Hague, where we saw each other last, and our next Summit in Ankara. And our priorities are clear: to invest more in defence and security, to strengthen our defence industrial base, and to sustain our unwavering support to Ukraine against Russia's ongoing war of aggression. Russia has paid a high price for marginal gains, and Ukraine continues to defend itself with courage. There is tremendous renewed energy around the peace process. And for that, I want to commend US President Trump.

I also want to commend the people of Iceland. Iceland is a staunch supporter of Ukraine indeed, including through your recent contribution of more than €8 million to PURL, the NATO-led effort to support critical munitions to Ukraine. You have funded prosthetics for the wounded, supported demining initiatives with Lithuania, and contributed to procurement through the Danish defence industry model and the Czech ammunition initiative.

And these are concrete contributions that save lives and strengthen Ukraine's defence and also send a clear signal to Moscow that Allies stand with Ukraine.

I was told earlier of the Icelandic poet Hulda, who wrote during the Second World War about Iceland as the land far from the world's battlefields. It is a beautiful poem that captured Iceland's unique place in the world at that time. Today, we know there is no periphery, but the spirit she expressed still matters. Resilient people, bound by sea and sky, united in the pursuit of peace. From Reykjavík to The Hague, my home city, from the High North to the Black Sea, every Ally is now a frontline state in the contest for our security and our values.

So Prime Minister, dear Kristrún, thank you for your leadership. Thank you for Iceland’s steadfast support to NATO, commitment to NATO and for everything you're doing.