REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Voters in Iceland are heading to the polls Saturday to decide whether the country should resume long-stalled negotiations on becoming a member of the European Union, and they are doing so in the shadow of U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to control nearby Greenland.The yes-or-no referendum question is simple enough for the 265,000 or so eligible voters: Should Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union? If voters reject the proposal, that’s it, for a generation at least.A yes vote would trigger the start of a negotiating process with the EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, that will involve discussions on 35 areas, from the economy to human rights. Perhaps, most importantly for Iceland, its fishing stocks in the rich North Atlantic waters will be up for discussion, and not everyone is happy about that. But some also believe the European Union could offer protections if Trump were to ever make similar threats on Iceland.
Nearby Greenland casting a shadow over referendumWhen Trump talked about U.S. control of Greenland, particularly at the start of this year, he altered the mood in Iceland, which is just 180 miles (290 km) away from the self-governing territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally.Though Trump has indicated he won’t use force to seize Greenland, his interest doesn’t appear to have cooled.
