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Why doesn’t Iceland have an Army?

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3 years ago

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While there are a few countries that don’t militaries, these are generally micronations. There is one exception though, Iceland. With a population of almost 400,000, they are by far the largest country to forgo maintaining their own military.

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32 Comments

32 Comments

  1. @ak102986

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Better question: who would want to invade Iceland anyway?

  2. @Yatukih_001

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    We do not have an army because we realized that is the future. We saw the extreme corruption in many armies around the world, and all the overspending. Our ableists always wanted to have an army – an army of ´thousands of ableist Icelanders´. Eventually we laughed at the idea because ableists are bad organisers. Instead, we decided to become The Army of None. No military meaning no wars. And then we also decided not to have any intelligence agency. This means we now have an infinite amount of time to analyse logical proofs.

  3. @snapdragon6601

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    I seems like a good deal.. They get protection from other democracies and don't need to use their limited budget to pay to create their own military.

  4. @GwareddJ

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Iceland doesn't need an army.. they're of Viking Blood. Who in their right mind would mess with a Viking ? lol

  5. @liversuccess1420

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    I was one of the people stationed at Keflavik NAS in 2006. I arrived in January and was gone by July as both the Air Force and Navy withdrew. At the time, the busiest American asset on the island was the squadron of rescue helicopters, which often responded to requests from Icelandic fishing vessels. At that time, the Global War on Terror and OIF were in full swing; Russia was not remotely seen as a threat as Putin was actually somewhat friendly toward the West back then. Had we known what he would become, I think both US and Icelandic governments would've worked harder to reach an agreement on keeping Keflavik as it was.

  6. @Halli50

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    When The Republic of Iceland became a founding member of NATO, the world was in a flux and there were a number of Soviet admirers (nominal Communists) among the population at the time. They were very vocal and violence-prone, much like the noisy and violence-prone right-wing extremists / racists / fascists (whatchamacallit) in the US today (although without all the guns). This political view slowly faded out in Iceland over the years – as did outright capitalism, and we now have a rather benign mix of political parties that can all be social-democratic, but with slightly different right/left/special interests leanings. All in all, we got off easy during these turbulent times.

  7. @HaryanviKashmiri

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    kinda ironic cuz when i set my vpn to iceland, i got a ton of icelandic military ads

  8. @rebeccamactal9934

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Im a icelander

  9. @edwingrande3006

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    I’m against to violence or weapons but it’s always safe to have a civil guards an case of unexpected situations or catastrophic events. I will enjoy if is need.

  10. @matsal3211

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    They should spend 1% of their gdp on military. Sorry but if u want to be NATO, then do your part.

  11. @nathaniellong4281

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Who would invade a small island literally in the middle of nowhere with very few natural resources?

  12. @jovanweismiller7114

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Costa Rica has a population of over 5 million & hasn't had a military since 1948.

  13. @williammurray1341

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    For the same reason that one must use a state approved name.

  14. @VirtualAssistantAlana2020

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States of America.

  15. @hermionegardener3796

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Their Air Force is the Freezing Winds. Their Navy are the Killer Waves. Their Army are the Wooly Sheep.

  16. @arthurbrumagem3844

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    They had an army when the Vikings arrived. At that point they figured they didn’t need one 😂😂

  17. @feltonmclaughlin3529

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    A well armed police force would be more than adequate. What they should have, if anything, is a naval force and air force.

  18. @gretareinarsson7461

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Speaking as an Icelander we really just don’t have any interest in having an army and police don’t carry guns (although bullet proof wests are now used). But we are part of NATO and being strategically important we don’t really have to worry too much about not being defended.

  19. @jonmino

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Iceland does not need a military when whoever occupies them at any given moment essentially does it for them. The US did its part by occupying Iceland 6 months prior to Pearl Harbor!!!

  20. @lawyermahaprasad

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    in that sense Bhutan doesn't have a Army as well

  21. @angloaust1575

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Self defence units may be deployed
    Part timers like home guard
    They have no territorial ambitions
    Like other aggressive nations!

  22. @RonG1960

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    It's an Island with small population and no neighbours. There, now you don't have to watch the video.

  23. @bryanduncan1640

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Easy answer – why would anybody want to invade the fucking place? Hence, no army.

  24. @johngraham6181

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Iceland does have a Navy or correctly an armed Coastguard

  25. @TheNorfolkman

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    When customers kick-off in branches of Iceland here in Britain, the manager can normally deal with it without calling in the military. Lol

  26. @villyou4809

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Because the Army would freeze. Duh.

  27. @geodezix

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    iceland defends itself by throwing codfish at their enemies

  28. @louisvillaescusa

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    "expansionist territorial wars are not as common as they once were." You have heard about what's happening in Ukraine right now?

  29. @patwxdaddy

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Bull Crap! I was in Afghanistan speaking with Iceland troops who were there as part of ISAF.

  30. @thebestcompaniondogforyou3367

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Why WOULD Iceland need an army. Who the hell want to take it?!

  31. @mikmik9034

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    An isolated ISLAND, should not need an Army, next question what about a Coast Guard/Navy?

  32. @COPKALA

    February 23, 2024 at 8:13 am

    Costarica has no military.

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📰 Too Long: https://toolong.news/
🎉 TLDR Party:  https://toolong.news/pages/tldr-party
📖 Read our Manifesto: https://tldrnews.co.uk/manifesto

Our mission is to explain news and politics in an impartial, efficient, and accessible way, balancing import and interest while fostering independent thought.

TLDR is a completely independent & privately owned media company that’s not afraid to tackle the issues we think are most important. The channel is run by a small group of young people, with us hoping to pass on our enthusiasm for politics to other young people. We are primarily fan sourced with most of our funding coming from donations and ad revenue. No shady corporations, no one telling us what to say. We can’t wait to grow further and help more people get informed. Help support us by subscribing, engaging and sharing. Thanks!

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Sources:

https://newsbriefing.eu/politics/meloni-hardens-migration-rhetoric-as-far-right-rival-vannacci-gains-ground
https://en.ilsole24ore.com/art/number-of-migrants-rises-repatriations-up-34-per-cent-in-the-first-six-months-AJVKjkm?refresh_ce=1
https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/pact-migration-and-asylum_en
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:180:0031:0059:en:PDF
https://italytelegraph.com/posts/italy-blocks-80000-migrant-transfers-what-the-eu-pact-really-changes-for-residents
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/21/sweden-plans-to-send-migrants-to-italy-france-and-spain-reject-dublin-transfers
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/21/sweden-plans-to-send-migrants-to-italy-france-and-spain-reject-dublin-transfers
https://www.eunews.it/en/2026/08/12/five-eu-member-states-are-considering-building-a-repatriation-centre-in-uganda/
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/10/04/giorgia-meloni-pushes-italy-s-migration-strategy-as-a-model_6728172_4.html
https://www.irreview.org/articles/2024/10/27/giorgia-meloni-is-offshoring-migration-to-solve-italys-immigration-concerns-now-the-rest-of-europe-is-interested-too
https://www.frontex.europa.eu/media-centre/news/news-release/frontex-irregular-border-crossings-down-26-in-2025-europe-must-stay-prepared-lyKpVb
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/08/italy-disastrous-offshore-agreement-with-albania-must-serve-as-a-wake-up-call-to-end-eus-cruel-migration-plans/
https://brusselssignal.eu/2026/08/vannacci-sanchez-is-right-on-immigration-meloni-is-a-fiasco/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/deputy-premier-salvini-rome-not-193326174.html
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/21/sweden-plans-to-send-migrants-to-italy-france-and-spain-reject-dublin-transfers
https://italytelegraph.com/posts/italy-blocks-80000-migrant-transfers-what-the-eu-pact-really-changes-for-residents
https://italianismo.com.br/com-44-meloni-lidera-avaliacao-enquanto-partidos-perdem-espaco/

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Published

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📰 Too Long: https://toolong.news/
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📖 Read our Manifesto: https://tldrnews.co.uk/manifesto

Our mission is to explain news and politics in an impartial, efficient, and accessible way, balancing import and interest while fostering independent thought.

TLDR is a completely independent & privately owned media company that’s not afraid to tackle the issues we think are most important. The channel is run by a small group of young people, with us hoping to pass on our enthusiasm for politics to other young people. We are primarily fan sourced with most of our funding coming from donations and ad revenue. No shady corporations, no one telling us what to say. We can’t wait to grow further and help more people get informed. Help support us by subscribing, engaging and sharing. Thanks!

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Sources:

POLITICO: Russia’s ‘hybrid’ war isn’t so hybrid
https://www.politico.eu/article/russias-hybrid-war-on-europe-is-starting-to-look-a-lot-less-hybrid/

Germany says Russia responsible for drone incident
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ylm3m67n2o
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/germany/article/2026/09/01/germany-blames-russia-for-airport-drone-incident-hits-back-with-sanctions_6757058_146.html?srsltid=AfmBOorxo7cxCO7l0TFHlXxatD1xyz1S0UqgldCRST2dfYnQWOCJYFzH

EU-NATO talks on German drone incident
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/09/02/von-der-leyen-russian-drone-incidents-in-europe-are-the-new-normal
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/09/01/von-der-leyen-pledges-response-to-russian-hybrid-attacks-ahead-of-rutte-meeting

Russian hybrid warfare (Aug/Sep 2026)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/31/poland-opens-terror-probe-into-fire-at-drone-factory
https://www.politico.eu/article/romania-jet-blasts-drone-near-offshore-gas-production-platform/
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/20/nato-jets-scrambled-as-drone-enters-romanian-airspace

Analysis
https://carnegieendowment.org/europe/strategic-europe/2026/07/why-russia-could-escalate-hybrid-warfare-against-europe
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/where-and-how-putin-could-expand-his-war-in-europe-beyond-ukraine/

Russian drone incidents (September 2025)
https://youtu.be/bnt3CNXMPo0?si=RwEWSEx_4Vt69gSb

00:00 – Introduction
01:28 – Context
04:34 – Why It Doesn’t Feel So Hybrid
07:38 – Too Long

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TLDR is a completely independent & privately owned media company that’s not afraid to tackle the issues we think are most important. The channel is run by a small group of young people, with us hoping to pass on our enthusiasm for politics to other young people. We are primarily fan sourced with most of our funding coming from donations and ad revenue. No shady corporations, no one telling us what to say. We can’t wait to grow further and help more people get informed. Help support us by subscribing, engaging and sharing. Thanks!

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Sources
German GDP data 2019-2025
https://www.economist.com/europe/2025/10/23/germanys-much-ballyhooed-autumn-of-reforms-is-a-damp-squib

Germany polls
https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/germany/
https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/08/31/how-the-alternative-for-germany-would-govern

Revised destatis data
https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Economy/National-Accounts-Domestic-Product/_node.html
https://substack.com/home/post/p-211829645

IMF estimates for GDP growth in 2026
https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDP_RPCH@WEO/EU/EURO/EUQ/IDN

Ifo institute data
https://www.ifo.de/en/facts/2026-06-18/ifo-economic-forecast-summer-2026-energy-price-increase-acting-brake-fiscal-policy
https://www.ifo.de/en/survey-results

Germany trade data
https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/deu/germany/trade-balance-deficit
https://tradingeconomics.com/germany/exports-to-china
https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/DEU/Year/LTST/Summarytext
https://tradingeconomics.com/germany/exports

Indices
https://live.euronext.com/en/financial-news/german-manufacturing-growth-accelerates-august-orders-surge-pmi-shows
https://tradingeconomics.com/germany/manufacturing-pmi
https://www.ifo.de/en/survey-results

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📰 Too Long: https://toolong.news/
🎉 TLDR Party:  https://toolong.news/pages/tldr-party
📖 Read our Manifesto: https://tldrnews.co.uk/manifesto

Our mission is to explain news and politics in an impartial, efficient, and accessible way, balancing import and interest while fostering independent thought.

TLDR is a completely independent & privately owned media company that’s not afraid to tackle the issues we think are most important. The channel is run by a small group of young people, with us hoping to pass on our enthusiasm for politics to other young people. We are primarily fan sourced with most of our funding coming from donations and ad revenue. No shady corporations, no one telling us what to say. We can’t wait to grow further and help more people get informed. Help support us by subscribing, engaging and sharing. Thanks!

//////////////////////////

Sources:

https://www.dw.com/en/icelands-eu-vote-a-nation-divided-over-europe/a-78285133
https://www.reuters.com/world/narrow-majority-icelanders-back-eu-membership-talks-poll-shows-ahead-referendum-2026-08-26/
https://www.ruv.is/english/2025-01-09-poll-majority-support-eu-negotiations-432591
https://nordics.info/show/artikel/icelands-relationship-with-the-eu
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/country/iceland
https://newunionpost.eu/2026/02/26/iceland-referendum-eu-accession-talks/#:~:text=hold%20a%20referendum%20on%20reopening%20Iceland%E2%80%99s%20EU%20accession%20talks
https://cb.is/news-and-publications/article/monetary-bulletin-2026-3
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-19/iceland-hikes-key-rate-to-8-to-lower-risk-of-prices-spiraling
https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/iceland-eu-referendum-3fqw92st9
https://thefishingdaily.com/icelandic-fishing-industry-news/icelandic-fishing-industry-points-to-ireland-in-eu-warning/
https://www.reuters.com/world/fish-ships-sovereignty-iceland-weighs-its-european-future-2026-08-19/#:~:text=defined%20Iceland’s%20independence%20since%20it%20broke%20away%20from%20Denmark
https://island-esb.is/en/kostnadur/
https://www.ruv.is/english/2026-08-29-iceland-rejects-eu-accession-talks-485377

00:00 – Introduction
01:09 – Context
03:06 – The Two Sides
05:35 – The Final Result
07:38 – Proton Mail

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