The World: Iceland warms to Europe

Also, Iran threatens retaliation after U.S. strikes

View in browser|nytimes.com May 26, 2026 By Katrin Bennhold Good morning, world. If the Nordic countries have always stood a little culturally apart from the countries that make up the core of the European Union, Iceland might be the country that feels the most culturally distinct of all. Its geographic isolation, small population and unique geothermal landscape have over the decades combined to produce a country that is both of Europe and separate from it — and proudly so. So it says something about the state of the world that Iceland is seriously considering joining the E.U. My colleague Amelia Nierenberg, who has spent a lot of time in the Nordic countries in recent months, explains why. Also: Iran threatens retaliation Record-breaking heat in Europe A new kind of Ferrari Kristrun Frostadottir, the prime minister of Iceland, in Reykjavik, in February. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times Why Iceland is suddenly looking toward Europe By Amelia Nierenberg In the past, Iceland never really wanted to be part of the European Union. Geographically, it sits smack-dab between Europe and North America. Culturally, it views itself as European and already follows a lot of E.U. laws. But on a practical level, Iceland has fiercely guarded its independence — which it gained from Denmark only in 1944 — and its precious fish stocks. In other words, Iceland has happily been a part of Europe, without being part of the E.U. itself. But then President Trump threatened Greenland, Iceland’s closest neighbor. And some Icelanders started to wonder if the time had come to join a bigger alliance. “The Greenland crisis definitely hit a nerve,” Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir told me in February in her office in Reykjavik. Even though few Icelanders think Trump would threaten them directly, they still gasped as he mixed Iceland up with Greenland in remarks made at Davos, Switzerland. They seethed at reports that Trump’s pick for ambassador had joked that Iceland could become the 52nd state. (He later apologized.) The New York Times Iceland’s 400,000 residents are now heading toward a referendum as soon as August on whether to plunge into talks with the E.U. If it succeeds, Iceland would sit down with the E.U. to hammer out a deal. The process could take years — and Icelanders would vote again to finalize the deal — but the fact that there is even serious debate about joining the E.U. reflects a major shift. “People feel that they might be forced to pick a side,” said Eirikur Bergmann, a politics professor at Bifrost University in Iceland. “And then there is really only one side to pick.” More E.U. than the E.U. The E.U. doesn’t accept just anyone. But Iceland would be an attractive get. It’s a wealthy country and it’s in a strategic location at the gateway to the Arctic, where superpowers are vying for dominance. It almost out-E.U.s the E.U. on metrics like gender equality, life expectancy and safety. And it’s beloved: Each year, millions of tourists save up for a once-in-a-lifetime trip around its volcanic shores. One thing Iceland doesn’t have, though, is a military. It’s a NATO member that has long relied on the alliance for protection. It also has a separate defense pact with the United States. American soldiers were stationed in Iceland for decades. But today, that relationship feels much more uncertain. The real fear, analysts said, is that if Trump destroys NATO, Iceland will be left exposed. The E.U. is not a military force. But with the U.S. looking increasingly unreliable as a security partner, European leaders have been chewing on their options. They’ve been discussing the use of a little-known mutual defense clause in the E.U. charter, which could offer member states more insurance in an increasingly uncertain world. And Iceland has been paying attention. It signed a security and defense partnership with the E.U. in March. But for those who’d like to go further, being in the alliance is always better than being a friend of the alliance. Aboard a cod processing trawler near Iceland.  Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times Safety in numbers Of course, joining the E.U. is hardly a done deal. Icelanders would first have to agree to the talks — and August is a long way away. And when I visited in February, fishermen and farmers told me they were worried about giving up control of their industries. Some people said they thought the E.U. could bury them under a headache of regulations meant for a mainland country like Germany or Slovakia. A few didn’t think that Trump’s threats to Greenland were all that serious. Still, what’s happening in Iceland reflects a broader dynamic that is unfolding across the Nordic countries. These countries have always held themselves a little bit apart from the rest of the continent. Many see themselves as Nordic before they see themselves as European, proud of their shared heritage, their high standard of living and their northern toughness. But after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Sweden and Finland abandoned their decades of strategic nonalignment and joined NATO. Now, the region is facing more threats — this time, in the form of erratic bluster from Washington. In just the past few months, Greenland cozied up to Denmark, its former colonizer. The Faroe Islands, the third part of the Danish realm, paused negotiations for more autonomy from Copenhagen. And in Norway — which, like Iceland, has also steered clear of the E.U. — an opposition leader is also pushing for another debate about joining the bloc. The common denominator: These wealthy, but small nations are reacting to profound shifts in the world order by leaning into alliances. It’s easy to prioritize fishing — one of Iceland’s most important industries, after all — when the world feels like a stable place. It’s harder when it starts getting dangerous out there. For more: I joined cod fishermen on choppy seas and joined the Icelandic Coast Guard on a surveillance flight. Read about my (sometimes nauseating) reporting trip here. MORE TOP NEWS A memorial for victims of the U.S.-Israel war in Tehran on Sunday.  Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times A ratcheting-up of Iran hostilities The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps warned that it would launch a “decisive reciprocal response” to any attacks that violated the cease-fire, a day after the U.S. military struck targets in southern Iran. The threats injected more uncertainty into fragile efforts to reach a peace deal. Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said in a statement that the war with the U.S. had shown that American military bases in the Middle East were no longer safe. Still, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said talks to end the war were continuing, and a deal could take “a few days.” American military forces on Monday attacked sites near the Strait of Hormuz, targeting missile launch sites and Iranian boats that were trying to place mines, U.S. officials said. Oil prices climbed after the U.S. strikes cast doubt on prospects for a deal. Follow our live updates. Inside Iran: The government began restoring internet access for millions of citizens after nearly three months, an official said, but an internet monitoring group said the blackout had been only partly lifted. OTHER NEWS In Paris yesterday.  Simon Wohlfahrt/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Several countries in Western Europe baked under record-breaking heat, prompting governments to warn about health risks. Trump, whose health has been a subject of public scrutiny, underwent a physical exam. He will turn 80 next month. Two children and two adults were killed in Belgium when a train crashed into a school van. The British oil giant BP ousted its chairman, citing “serious concerns” over his conduct without providing further detail. Canada struck a deal to export liquefied natural gas to Germany. Rescuers in Laos scrambled to reach seven people trapped since last week in a flooded cave. The U.S. is planning to give weapons-grade plutonium to start-ups to convert into nuclear fuel, raising weapons proliferation concerns. WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING Sonny Rollins, one of the dominant jazz musicians of the modern era, died at 95. Trace his career through these 12 essential albums. TOP OF THE WORLD The most clicked link in your newsletter yesterday was about Pope Leo’s encyclical on the risks from A.I. SPORTS David Richard/Imagn Images, via Reuters Basketball: It took 27 years, but the New York Knicks are going to the N.B.A. finals after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tennis: Coco Gauff is into the second round after beating Taylor Townsend at the French Open. Follow our Day 3 updates. HALF-MILLION-EURO CAR OF THE DAY Ferrari Luce Ferrari’s first fully electric model, which was unveiled on Monday, doesn’t quite have the luxury brand’s classic look or distinctive engine roar. Car enthusiasts are debating in online forums about the design’s pros and cons. Shares in Ferrari fell yesterday. The waiting list for the most-sought-after Ferraris can last years. Analysts are keen to see if the Luce, with a price tag of 550,000 euros in Italy, has a similar appeal. MORNING READ Sirachai Arunrugstichai for The New York Times Malaysia has lost about 20 percent of its coral reefs in recent years, largely because of rising ocean temperatures. The damage to reefs near Pom Pom Island has been compounded over decades by fishermen who used explosives to kill entire schools of fish. Now, a conservation group is working to rejuvenate a small section with an artificial reef made of corrugated concrete. The group has reported some success: 500 young corals have settled in, and fish numbers have improved. But some experts worry that the effort does not address the core problem: rising greenhouse gas emissions. Take a dive and see the restoration effort. AROUND THE WORLD Matthew Abbott for The New York Times When TikTok found a hidden gem in Australia Tasman Drive in Gerringong, a seaside town in New South Wales, has become known online as “Australia’s prettiest street.” And now, residents are trying to coexist with tourists who want photos and videos of it for Instagram and TikTok. For many years, Tasman Drive was a secret held by locals. But no more. “This is our Eiffel Tower,” one resident said. “They want to have the photo in this street.” See the beach. And the throngs of tourists. RECOMMENDATIONS Read: If you happen to be planning a beach vacation, here are the books you’ll need. Watch: A must-see documentary about a protest against a 2021 immigration raid in Glasgow shows the power of community. Sit: This garden gives visitors a different way to explore a landscape, with inviting outdoor seating. Consider: Should you take nutrition advice from a chatbot? Experts weigh in. RECIPE David Malosh for The New York Times This mayonnaise-based Japanese steakhouse sauce tastes glorious with grilled shrimp, chicken and vegetables or drizzled over a plate of fried rice. Slather it on a burger, use it as a dipping sauce for fried tofu, French fries and pizza crusts, or even as a salad dressing. WHERE IS THIS? Matteo de Mayda for The New York Times Where is this resort town? Montego Bay, Jamaica Viña del Mar, Chile Galle, Sri Lanka Portoroz, Slovenia TIME TO PLAY Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here. That’s it for today. See you tomorrow! — Katrin We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at theworld@nytimes.com. Host: Katrin Bennhold Editor: Alicia Wittmeyer News Editors: Desiree Ibekwe, Carole Landry Associate Staff Editor: Parin Behrooz Photo Editor: Eli Cohen Deputy International Editor: Adam Pasick If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here. Need help? 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