President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Iceland has apologized after saying the North Atlantic country would become the 52nd U.S. state and he would be its governor.  

Iceland’s Foreign Ministry has requested clarification from the U.S. over the comments made by former Representative Billy Long of Missouri. The Republican’s remarks have sparked a petition in Iceland against his appointment.

Newsweek has contacted Iceland’s Foreign Ministry, the White House and the State Department for comment. 

Why It Matters  

Diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Europe are high over Trump’s ambitions to acquire Greenland, an autonomous island that is part of Denmark, a founding NATO member. 

Long said his comment was a joke, but political leaders in Iceland—also a founding member of NATO—said it showed disrespect for the sovereignty of small nations, connecting his quip to the ongoing discussions about Greenland‘s future. 

What To Know 

Long, whom Trump nominated to replace Carrin Patman as envoy to Iceland, said on the House floor on Tuesday that the country would become the 52nd state of the U.S., according to a report by Politico.

Iceland’s Foreign Ministry told Politico in a statement that it had contacted the U.S. Embassy in Reykjavik “to verify the veracity of the alleged comments.”

In an interview with Arctic Today, Long acknowledged that he had made the remarks, saying, “There was nothing serious” in them and that they were in response to comments his colleagues made about Greenland envoy Jeff Landry becoming governor of the Arctic island.

“If anyone took offense to it, then I apologize,” Long said. However, the comments sparked controversy in Iceland.

Viðreisn Sigmar Guðmundsson, a member of Iceland’s ruling party, told local media that the remark showed a fundamental disrespect for the sovereignty of small nations and should be taken seriously. Over 2,000 Icelanders have signed a petition urging Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir to reject Long as ambassador. 

What People Are Saying 

Billy Long, the nominee for ambassador to Iceland, told Arctic Today: “There was nothing serious about that, I was with some people, who I hadn’t met for three years, and they were kidding about Jeff Landry being governor of Greenland, and they started joking about me, and if anyone took offense to it, then I apologize.”   

Viðreisn Sigmar Guðmundsson, a member of Iceland’s ruling party, told mbl.is: “There is no doubt that this is very serious for a small country like Iceland. We need to understand that all the security arguments made by the U.S. regarding Greenland, also apply to Iceland.” 

A petition launched by Icelanders said: “We want Þorgerður Katrín to reject Billy Long as ambassador to Iceland and call for the United States to nominate another who will show Iceland and Icelanders more respect.”

What Happens Next 

It remains to be seen whether the diplomatic spat will affect Long’s nomination as ambassador. He said while apologizing for his comments, “I look forward to working with the people of Iceland.” 

Meanwhile, European leaders are backing Greenland as they seek a deal that can resolve Trump’s pledge to acquire the island. 

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