"The Malvinas were, are, and always will be Argentine," Milei wrote on X on Friday, using the Argentine name for the islands. In a separate interview with Argentine digital channel Neura, published on Friday, he said the country is doing "everything humanly possible" to bring the Falklands back under Argentine control. "Sovereignty is not up for negotiation, but it must be handled reasonably and intelligently," said Milei, a close ally of President Donald Trump.
The Falkland Islands are a small group of islands located about 500 kilometers east of Argentina, with a population of around 3,600. The United Kingdom and Argentina both claim historical rights to the islands, and the two countries fought a brief but intense war in 1982 after Argentina attempted to seize control. Argentina ultimately capitulated in June of that year after at least 900 people were killed.
Milei's renewed push comes after reports emerged that the United States is considering reviewing its support for the historical British claim to the islands. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday that the sovereignty of the Falklands belongs to the United Kingdom and that the islanders' right to self-determination is of paramount importance. "We have made this position clear and consistently to successive U.S. administrations, and nothing will change," he added.
In the UK, criticism has emerged that the islands' defense capability has been compromised after RAF sources confirmed that the only Voyager-type air-to-air refueling aircraft stationed in the Falklands was relocated following the crisis with Iran. This decision potentially means that Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters would be unable to conduct continuous air patrols along the roughly 2,200-kilometer route to South Georgia and back. As a result, the islands will be without air-to-air refueling capacity for the first time since the 1980s, dating back to when Margaret Thatcher sent a military task force to defeat Argentina.
This news comes as Buenos Aires allocates more than ยฃ220 million for 24 modernized F-16 fighter jets from the Danish Air Force. It is also reported that Argentina is seeking two KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft from the U.S. for air-to-air refueling. A senior RAF source expressed concern about the UK's ability to defend the islands if Argentina decided to launch a new challenge. "If the Argentines decide to test our defenses, it would be very difficult for us to maintain constant combat air patrols without air-to-air refueling capability. We need more aircraft and more pilots," the source said.
Additionally, concerns for the British are heightened by the fact that the navy is significantly smaller than during the military intervention in 1982, and problems with warship readiness have been noted during the deployment of vessels due to the latest crisis in the Middle East.