Relationship dossier
Iceland
Russia
Relationship assessment
Iceland–Russia relations have been sharply strained by the war in Ukraine and associated sanctions.
Iceland toward Russia
-45Iceland aligned with sanctions against Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and suspended operations at its embassy in Moscow in 2023, reducing diplomatic engagement.
Russia toward Iceland
-45Russia placed Iceland on its list of states it considers unfriendly in 2022, in the context of sanctions and other measures imposed by countries supporting Ukraine.
Overall relationship
-40The relationship has shifted toward sustained political confrontation since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Iceland's sanctions alignment and reduced diplomatic engagement, together with Russia's designation of Iceland as an unfriendly state, are significant bilateral features. The scope of continuing practical cooperation is unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Relations have become substantially strained since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Iceland has aligned with sanctions against Russia and reduced diplomatic engagement, while Russia has included Iceland among states it considers unfriendly. These measures reinforce a bilateral relationship marked by political confrontation, although the extent of remaining practical cooperation is unclear.
Areas of tension
- Iceland's alignment with sanctions imposed on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
- Russia's designation of Iceland as an unfriendly state.
- Iceland's suspension of operations at its embassy in Moscow.
Key developments
Russia included Iceland on its list of states it considers unfriendly.
Iceland suspended operations at its embassy in Moscow, citing the state of bilateral relations and practical constraints.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of Iceland's remaining bilateral engagement and practical cooperation with Russia is unclear.
- The extent of Russia's specific measures toward Iceland beyond its designation as an unfriendly state is unclear.