Last week, reports emerged that the US might challenge the United Kingdom’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands if the government does not increase defense funding.
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On Thursday, Argentina’s President Javier Milei stated on a television broadcast that “winds of change are blowing worldwide,” favorable to Argentina’s claims to the Falkland Islands, and emphasized that even D. Trump might reconsider the US position on the sovereignty of these islands.
“Recently, President Trump stated that the US overestimates its historical position regarding the Malvinas Islands,” he said, using the Argentine name for the islands.
The country’s leader pointed out that the United Kingdom allegedly faces “many migration, demographic, and economic crises that are hardly solvable.”
“It is clear that it is on a path of decline. However, Argentina’s future is thriving and it will prevail,” he declared.
The Falkland Islands, located in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, remain a subject of sovereignty dispute between the United Kingdom and Argentina, more than 40 years after the armed conflict over this territory.
When asked if he would “come to the aid of the United Kingdom” in a possible new territorial dispute, D. Trump responded to “GB News”: “Well, look, I was there when the first war happened.”
“That was a long time ago, and I watched very closely how you behaved – you behaved very well. You quite decisively reclaimed the archipelago, but that is far in the past,” the American leader said.
Moving on to the current US war against Iran, D. Trump added: “So, your country is not doing well. Don’t forget, you get a large part of your oil through the Strait of Hormuz, and you didn’t come to help me there.
Your country was not there to help me. We didn’t need help, but I turned to NATO and asked your former leader: ‘Why didn’t you send a couple of ships?’.
The US president recalled that former Prime Minister Keir Starmer told him there were no ships, which, as he added, “was quite sad.”
“NATO was not there, although most of those countries get the majority of their oil from there. So we are doing it ourselves,” complained D. Trump.
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In April, an internal Pentagon email leaked, suggesting that the US might reconsider its position on the islands.
In 1982, Argentina and the United Kingdom fought a short but intense war over this territory. The British military task force expelled Argentine forces that had landed on the Falkland Islands to assert territorial claims.
During 74 days of fighting, 255 British soldiers, three island residents, and 649 Argentine soldiers died.
Previous US administrations officially recognized the United Kingdom’s “de facto” administration of the islands but did not take an official position on sovereignty.
D. Trump’s comments came after the BBC asked him if he overestimates the US position on the islands.
“I always review every position. This is just one of many,” he replied.
In turn, the UK government responded that the Falkland Islands’ residents “are British, with the right to decide their own future.”
A government spokesperson added: “The islanders have repeatedly expressed their desire to remain a British Overseas Territory, and our commitment to them is firm.”
In a 2013 referendum, the islanders overwhelmingly decided to remain a British Overseas Territory – 99.8% voted “yes,” and only three voted “no.”
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