London (AFP) – Britain insisted Friday that the Falkland Islands "are British" after Argentine President Javier Milei said the "winds of change" favoured his country's claim to the archipelago, citing Washington's readiness to review its neutrality in the dispute.
Britain and Argentina fought a 10-week war in 1982 over the South Atlantic islands, a British overseas territory which Argentines call Las Malvinas.
The fate of the islands hit headlines again in recent days after US President Donald Trump threatened to wade into the dispute, and an British-Israeli oil project near the islands caused anger in Argentina.
In an address on national TV, Milei assured Thursday that Argentina would not "stand idly by" in the face of the oil project and announced sanctions on firms linked to oil extraction "in Argentine territory under British occupation."
"There are winds of change in the world that are favourable to our claim," he said, alluding to Trump's threat to withdraw support for Britain's sovereignty.
Control of the Falklands is a highly emotive issue in Argentina, even though the islanders themselves voted overwhelmingly in 2013 to remain British.
"The Falklands are British because Falkland Islanders choose to be British," British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting responded in a social media post on Friday.
"Our commitment to the Falklands is absolute and unshakeable," Streeting added.
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3 Comments
green_red_black@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 2d
Unfortunately for Milei I doubt the US stance is going to change. Mostly because honestly what would the US gain if the Falklands did become Argentine owned.
DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social · 0 pts · 2d
A new colony.
green_red_black@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 2d
Ah yes a colony of a thousand sheep herders and fishermen. No seriously that is the sum of the economy, while oil has been found drilling has yet to happen (also Israel has majority stake of the company behind that development.)