UK hits back after Argentina's president makes huge Falkland Islands threat
The UK has reaffirmed its 'absolute and unshakable' commitment to the Falkland Islands after Argentinian president Javier Milei escalated tensions over the British territory.
In a televised address to the nation on Thursday (September 3), Milei said: "I want to be quite clear with everybody. The Falklands are Argentinean. Historically and legally. There can be no argument. They are part of the Argentine territory.
"The islanders on their usurped territory do not have a legitimate right to self-determination and any argument on any such self-determination is invalid."
Claiming that the UK is facing 'multiple crises of a migratory, demographic and economic nature that are unlikely to be resolved', Milei added: "It is clear that they are on a path of decline. Argentina’s future, however, is flourishing and will prevail."
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He went on to say he would be sanctioning oil companies working on the Falklands.
Now, UK officials have hit back, with Defence Secretary Wes Streeting taking to X to claim Milei's comments 'tells us more about domestic politics in Argentina'.
He wrote: "Milei’s statement overnight tells us more about domestic politics in Argentina than it does about the Falkland Islands.
"The Falklands are British because Falkland Islanders choose to be British. Our commitment to the Falklands is absolute and unshakeable."
Education Secretary Lucy Powell was also asked on Sky News about Milei's remarks, to which she replied the position of those living on the islands had 'been consistent for a very long time'.
"It's a matter for the Falkland Islands where they want to be," she added.
"It's very clear that they want to remain a British overseas territory, and that's not going to change, I don't think - the public opinion in the Falkland Islands - any time soon."
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband called the UK's position on the Falkland Islands 'unwavering'.
He added on X: "The Islands are British and will remain so because that is the overwhelming position of the Islanders.
"Their right of self-determination is paramount, grounded in international law and we will resolutely uphold it."
The Falkland Islands have been British territory since 1883, though the UK and Argentina did go to war over the region in 1982 after the latter invaded the islands.
655 Argentine, 255 British servicemen, and three people from the islands died as a result of the 74-day conflict.
The fighting ended after an Argentine surrender, which followed the UK sending a naval task force to retake the islands.
Donald Trump recently suggested he wouldn't come to Britain's aid if Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands again.
Referencing the UK's decision to stay out of the conflict in Iran, the president told GB News: "Your country was not there to help me.
"I was there when they had the first war; that was a long time ago, you comported yourself very well, took it back very shortly. But it is a long way away."
The president added: "The Falklands is very interesting because your country is not the same country it was 20 years ago, 25 years ago. It was a long time ago.
"And you went there and you just took it back very quickly and there was no games. So I don't know if you're prepared to do that. I just don't know if you have the capacity to do that."
Topics: UK News, World News
Callum Jones