Cold War memories stir Rubio in Iceland as he champions diplomacy and downplays differences

REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio connected Tuesday sought to reassure NATO state Iceland that President Donald Trump's medication has nary designs connected the land but shares its heavy concerns astir Arctic information arsenic tensions betwixt the United States and Russia emergence successful the precocious northbound and elsewhere.

Rubio hailed the relation of diplomacy successful resolving conflicts arsenic helium began a three-nation circuit of NATO allies successful the superior of Iceland, wherever concerns implicit the Republican administration’s often brusque and sometimes rude attack to accepted friends and partners person stirred unease.

Rubio, whose circuit of NATO members volition see Greece and Portugal, met Tuesday with Icelandic Foreign Secretary Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir astatine Reykjavik’s Hofdi House, the tract of the 1986 acme betwixt U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet person Mikhail Gorbachev that is wide regarded arsenic the opening of the extremity of the Cold War.

“The location symbolizes diplomacy’s relation successful ending the Cold War and defeating communism,” Rubio posted connected societal media aft the talks that took spot conscionable days earlier the 40th day of the landmark meeting.

However, some Rubio and Gunnarsdóttir downplayed differences betwixt the allies and said some countries were committed to deepening and expanding subject and commercialized ties. Rubio made wide that the United States would not bash thing successful Iceland without Iceland's consent.

“We would beryllium unfastened to having those conversations to spot what we tin bash together,” helium said, noting that the U.S. had a decades-long imperishable subject beingness successful Iceland until 2006, erstwhile shifting priorities caused it to adjacent its Keflavik basal extracurricular of Reykjavik. He noted that priorities person shifted again.

And, helium went retired of his mode to praise Iceland: “We person tremendous respect for the people. We person respect for the state successful the relation it plays, and it has for a precise agelong time,” helium said.

Iceland's overseas caput says she's ‘focused connected the future’

Iceland has been uneasy astir Trump’s intentions toward it aft the posting of a representation showing the colors of the U.S. emblem sprawling crossed each of North America and extending to Iceland and Greenland. The unease has persisted contempt an statement reached past period to summation the U.S. beingness successful the neighboring Danish territory of Greenland that appears to person ended Trump’s earlier request for the U.S. to instrumentality afloat control.

But connected Tuesday, aft Rubio's talks with Gunnarsdóttir and Iceland's Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, those tensions appeared to beryllium connected the wane.

Gunnarsdóttir said the substance had been largely, if not entirely, resolved. “We stay focused connected the future," she said. Rubio, meanwhile, said helium was not successful Iceland to speech astir societal media posts. “Everything is precise positive,” helium said.

Rubio talks up ‘shared priorities’

Before leaving Washington connected Monday, Rubio said the sojourn is intended to “advance our shared priorities: a unafraid Arctic, stronger commercialized and vigor ties, and person defence cooperation.” He offered nary hint of tensions with the land that, portion a NATO member, has nary lasting army.

The representation incident, however, alarmed Icelanders, and successful response, Gunnarsdóttir summoned U.S. Ambassador Billy Long to a gathering astatine which she made it wide the station was unacceptable.

Iceland, which is conscionable 180 miles (290 kilometers) from Greenland, had already been connected borderline aft Trump mistakenly named the state 4 times portion speaking astir Greenland.

Iceland hasn't seen oculus to oculus with US ambassadors

Long, a colorful erstwhile Missouri congressman, IRS commissioner and nonrecreational auctioneer, besides has made waves successful Iceland. Before helium took up his station successful August, thousands of Icelanders signed a petition urging the premier curate to cull him aft helium made a ace earlier this twelvemonth astir Iceland becoming the 52nd U.S. authorities and making him governor. He has since apologized for the quip.

Long is not the archetypal Trump ambassador to Iceland to person raised concerns with the big government. In Trump’s archetypal term, Ambassador Jeffrey Ross Gunter near locals successful comparatively crime-free Reykjavik aghast implicit his petition to prosecute equipped bodyguards, which prompted complaints.

At Rubio’s adjacent halt successful Athens, helium whitethorn beryllium dealing with different ambassador controversy. Rep. Gregory Meeks, a New York Democrat who is the ranking subordinate of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said past week that helium would analyse allegations of misconduct and impropriety by the U.S. ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle.

In a missive to Rubio, Meeks said helium wanted answers pursuing the allegations reported by The Wall Street Journal past period and that helium would telephone for Guilfoyle’s dismissal if the behaviour outlined successful the quality study was true.

The Journal reported that Guilfoyle told guests astatine a reception that the U.S. could undermine the Greek authorities if it chose to, promoted the concern interests of 1 peculiar Greek operation and vigor company, and allowed its lobbyist into backstage diplomatic meetings.

Some Greek absorption parties person called for an enquiry into the allegations, but it's unclear if they volition proceed.

Guilfoyle, a erstwhile Fox News Channel big and California authoritative who was erstwhile engaged to Trump’s lad Donald Jr., has denied immoderate wrongdoing, and Rubio has defended her before.

Guilfoyle, Rubio said aft the Journal communicative appeared, “has been an unthinkable advocator for the president’s docket successful Greece and crossed Europe.” Rubio said helium and Trump greatly worth the ambassador’s “pivotal enactment and leadership,” notably connected vigor issues.

The Trump medication sees Greece arsenic cardinal to advancing the promotion and export of U.S.-produced liquefied earthy state to Southeastern and Central Europe.