Argentine President Javier Milei said in a nationally televised speech Thursday that the United States' position on the Falkland Islands could be shifting. He attributed this potential change to his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump and Argentina's alignment with Western values.
Milei announced that Argentina would impose sanctions on any oil companies operating in the British overseas territory. He specifically targeted the Sea Lion oil project, located about 140 miles from the islands in an area Argentina claims as its own, where two companies—one British and one Israeli—plan to begin drilling in coming months with production targeted for 2028.
"Argentina will not stand idly by," Milei said, describing any further activity on the islands as a "violation of our national security." He reiterated Argentina's longstanding claim that the Falkland Islands are Argentine territory.
When asked whether his administration could change its position on the Falklands, Trump said he "always" reviews positions. In another interview, when asked whether the U.S. would aid Britain in an armed conflict over the islands, Trump said: "Your country was not there to help me," referring to Britain's refusal to participate actively in the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran.
A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the British government's position remained "long-standing and unwavering." The statement said sovereignty rests with the UK and "the islanders' right to self-determination is paramount."
