Javier Milei's threat: "Something that has never happened before"
Argentine President Javier Milei announced on Thursday that he would impose sanctions on oil companies operating off the Falkland Islands, renewing his country's claim to the British territory. In an address to the nation, Milei said that "winds of change" are blowing in favor of Argentina's claim and noted that Washington is willing to reconsider its neutral position in the conflict.
Argentine President Javier Milei announced on Thursday that he would impose sanctions on oil companies operating off the Falkland Islands, renewing his country's claim to the British territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. In an address to the nation, Milei said that "winds of change" are blowing in favor of Argentina's claim, and noted that Washington is willing to reconsider its neutral position in the conflict.
Milei referred to the Sea Lion oil field, where drilling operations by a British company and an Israeli company are scheduled to begin, and called it a "clear and present danger." According to him:
"If we do not act quickly, within a few months they will have the material capacity to access the oil that is under our sea — something that has never happened before."
The oil field contains about 1.7 billion barrels of oil, and production is expected to begin in 2028.
More than 40 years after the armed conflict, sovereignty over the archipelago remains a subject of intense dispute between Britain and Argentina. In a referendum held in 2013, the residents of the islands voted overwhelmingly to remain a British Overseas Territory, with 99.8% voting in favor and only three voting against. The British government emphasized this week that the residents of the Falkland Islands are British and are entitled to determine their own future.
US President Donald Trump addressed the issue earlier in an interview, when asked if the US would "come to Britain's aid" in a potential territorial conflict. Trump replied that Britain "was not there to help me" in the war against Iran. Trump's remarks come after he previously said that the US might change its neutral position regarding the sovereignty of the islands if Britain does not increase its defense spending.
Milei also announced plans to establish a naval base in Tierra del Fuego in southern Argentina, and noted that US President Donald Trump and the US are "reassessing their historical position regarding the Falkland Islands," which Argentina calls 'Las Malvinas'.
"These are not empty words, as they understand that Argentina is a reliable partner and a valuable ally for the coming decades. I want to be clear with everyone. The Falkland Islands are Argentine. Historically and legally."
