Argentine President Javier Milei has reignited tensions with the United Kingdom after declaring that the disputed Falkland Islands belong to Argentina and vowing tougher action against companies involved in oil exploration around the territory.
In a televised national address on Thursday, September 3, Milei said Argentina’s claim to the islands, which Buenos Aires calls the Malvinas, was based on history and law.
“The Malvinas are Argentine,” Milei declared, insisting that Argentina’s sovereignty over the islands was beyond dispute.
He also rejected the United Kingdom’s reliance on the principle of self-determination for the islanders, arguing that the population had no legitimate right to determine the territory’s sovereignty.
Milei said his government would accelerate sanctions against companies involved in oil extraction projects around the Falkland Islands, particularly the Sea Lion offshore project being developed by Israeli-backed Navitas Petroleum and British company Rockhopper Exploration.
The Argentine president also announced plans to strengthen the country’s defence capabilities, including increased resources for the Defence Ministry and the development of an integrated naval base in Tierra del Fuego, in southern Argentina.
The renewed dispute comes after US President Donald Trump recently suggested that Washington could reconsider its traditional position on the Falklands sovereignty dispute.
Milei interpreted Trump’s remarks as a potentially significant shift, saying that “winds of change” were blowing in favour of Argentina’s claim.
The Falkland Islands have been under British control since 1833 and were the scene of the 1982 Falklands War, when Argentina invaded the territory and Britain subsequently retook it.
The United Kingdom has strongly rejected Milei’s latest claims, reaffirming that its position on the islands remains unchanged.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK’s commitment to the Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination was firm, while Defence Secretary Wes Streeting described Britain’s commitment to the islands as “absolute and unshakeable.”
The dispute remains a sensitive issue between London and Buenos Aires, with Argentina maintaining that the islands are part of its territory while Britain insists that the islanders have the right to determine their own political future.
The issue has gained renewed prominence as oil exploration around the islands advances, with the Sea Lion field estimated to contain about 1.7 billion barrels of oil and expected to begin production later this decade.
