Falklands claim: Can Argentina’s Milei use Trump ties to challenge the UK?
Argentine President Javier Milei has intensified his rhetoric on Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands, leveraging his close relationship with US President Donald Trump amid deteriorating US-UK relations. As Trump grows critical of the UK over its stance on the US-Iran conflict, speculation rises about a potential shift in long-standing US neutrality on the Falklands dispute. The islands, controlled by the UK since 1833 and supported by a 2013 referendum, remain a persistent point of contention between Buenos Aires and London.
- ▪Argentina claims the Falkland Islands, known as Las Malvinas, based on inheritance from the Spanish crown.
- ▪The UK has administered the islands since 1833 and 1,513 of 1,517 islanders voted to remain British in 2013.
- ▪Milei's approval rating has dropped to 39%, with 61% of Argentinians disapproving of his leadership.
- ▪The US historically maintained neutrality on the Falklands but reports suggest the Pentagon may review this stance.
- ▪Milei met Trump multiple times and has been called Trump's 'favourite president.'
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EXPLAINERNews|ConflictFalklands claim: Can Argentina’s Milei use Trump ties to challenge the UK?As US-UK relations nosedive, questions are mounting over whether Trump might shift Washington's position on the disputed islands.ListenListen (7 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoUS President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with his Argentinian counterpart, Javier Milei, at the 56th annual World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026 [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]Published On 1 May 20261 May 2026President Javier Milei has recently sharpened his rhetoric on Argentina’s claim to the British-controlled Falkland Islands, at a time when his close relationship with United States President Donald…
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