First Crack in the Pattern: US Ships and Aircraft Stay Away from Iceland Maneuvers

A serious rift is taking shape inside NATO. Off the coast of Iceland, the alliance has completed its annual Northern Viking military exercises — held, for the first time in the history of the alliance, without a U.S. combat contribution.

For decades Washington directed these maneuvers. In 2026, however, the American command refused to send its ships and aircraft.

The Pentagon confined itself to helping partners with planning and to building new facilities at Keflavik Airport. The hunt for Russian submarines in the Atlantic was left to the Europeans themselves — German reconnaissance aircraft, Belgian fighters and Canadian warships.

The White House has so far offered no comment. Analysts, however, are convinced that Donald Trump has moved from rhetoric to action, forcing European leaders to fight at their own expense and without the direct support of the U.S. military.