Argentina Javier Milei makes brazen Falkland Islands vow as Trump’s threat emerges | World | News
Javier Milei, the President of Argentina, has claimed his country is doing “everything humanly possible” to snatch the Falkland Islands from Britain – despite the archipelago’s residents not wanting to become Argentine. His comments come as Donald Trump has threatened to reassess UK sovereignty over the islands, amid escalating tensions with European allies.
“We are doing everything humanly possible to bring the Falkland Islands back into Argentine hands,” Milei told Neura yesterday. “Sovereignty is not negotiable, but it must be done judiciously, it must be done with intelligence.” The right wing leader has previously said he would set out a “roadmap” for the islands to become part of Argentina.
The US president is an ally of Milei and Mr Trump’s relationship with Sir Keir has deteriorated dramatically since the start of the Iran war.
Trump reportedly set out proposals to punish NATO allies for what he considered insufficient support in the war with Iran, according to an internal Pentagon email.
An anonymous US official said email sets out options for the US to possibly suspend Spain from the alliance and review their position on Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands.
The memo, first reported by Reuters, suggested reassessing US diplomatic support for “imperial possessions” such as the Falklands. The Foreign Office, however, is treating the potential shift in the US position as a “hypothetical scenario”.
The US state department describes the Falklands as “administered by the United Kingdom, claimed by Argentina” and uses the Spanish name Islas Malvinas alongside the English name.
A Pentagon spokesperson failed to comment on the email’s existence, but said it “will ensure that the president has credible options to ensure that our allies are no longer a paper tiger and instead do their part”.
“As President Trump has said, despite everything that the United States has done for our Nato allies, they were not there for us,” the spokesperson added.
Earlier today Keir Starmer reiterated that the “UK’s position is clear and isn’t going to change”.
A spokesperson for the Falkland Islands Government said: “Self-determination is a fundamental human right enshrined in article one, paragraph two of the Charter of the United Nations. In 2013, the Falkland Islands held an internationally observed sovereignty referendum, in which 99.8% of voters, on a turnout of 92 per cent, voted in favour of remaining an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom.”
It added: “The Falkland Islands has complete confidence in the commitment made by the UK Government to uphold and defend our right of self-determination.”
