World · Echonomia Post
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentine President Javier Milei escalated his country’s dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands on Thursday, vowing new measures to halt an oil project near the British-controlled archipelago. Milei praised U.S. President Donald Trump for saying Washington could reconsider its neutral stance on the islands’ sovereignty, framing it as proof of his close relationship with Trump, which critics call overly deferential.
He stated, "The United States is considering this change in position because it knows that Argentina has a reliable partner, aligned with Western values, in a strategically important position that can be a valuable ally in the decades to come." Milei announced sweeping actions to stop the Sea Lion oil project, about 220 kilometers north of the islands, where British company Rockhopper Exploration and Navitas Petroleum plan to drill. Argentina claims the project is illegal exploitation of its claimed waters. He threatened sanctions against companies involved and announced new funding for a naval base in Tierra del Fuego to bolster military presence near the islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas.
"Argentina will not stand idly by," Milei said. "Any further advance on the Malvinas Islands will be considered a violation of our national security." U.K. Defense Secretary Wes Streeting dismissed Milei’s statement as reflecting domestic politics rather than the Falklands dispute.
Milei’s strategy aims to refocus attention on the Falklands amid criticism of his ties to Britain and admiration for Margaret Thatcher. The two-month 1982 Falklands War killed 649 Argentine troops and 255 British service members, leaving the sovereignty claim a contentious issue in Argentina. Trump’s comments about reviewing U.S. stance on the islands raised diplomatic tensions.
Milei’s approach seeks to leverage the economic stakes of the oil project to strengthen Argentina’s sovereignty claim, despite skepticism from opposition lawmaker Nicolás del Caño, who sees it as a political move to regain ground ahead of the election.
Source: NBC News
