The Milei government responded to the British spokesperson and ratified Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands

In a context of growing diplomatic friction over the Malvinas question, Argentina once again took a stand in the face of recent statements by the United Kingdom, which insisted in which “sovereignty is not in question”.

The official response, channeled through Finance Secretary Pablo Quirno, not only reaffirms Argentina's historic claim, but also questions British arguments and denounces new maneuvers on the natural resources of the South Atlantic.

Through his X account, Pablo Quirno released a categorical statement: “In view of recent public statements by senior officials of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, Argentina reaffirms its sovereign rights over the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas.” The text notes that the British occupation of 1833 was “an act of force contrary to the international law of the time that violated our territorial integrity and initiated a colonial situation that persists”, underlining the historical continuity of the Argentine claim

.

Along these lines, the statement recalls international support: “The General Assembly of the United Nations recognized through Resolution 2065 (XX) the existence of a sovereignty dispute and urged Argentina and the United Kingdom to resolve it through bilateral negotiations”, also noting the repeated support of organizations such as the Special Committee on Decolonization (C24), the Organization of American States (OAS), the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR)

, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Group of 77 and China and the Brasilia Consensus.

One of the strongest points of the message points directly against the central British argument: “We reject the British invocation of the principle of self-determination of peoples. The current inhabitants of the Falkland Islands have never been recognized as a 'people' by the United Nations.” In this regard, it is emphasized that “it is not acceptable for the inhabitants of the islands to become arbiters of a territorial dispute to which their own country, as an implanted population, is a party”, thus invalidating the “

intended referendum of 2013”.

The statement also raises the tone in the face of the economic and strategic issue: “We also denounce illegal activities of exploration and exploitation of natural resources —both renewable and non-renewable—”, focusing on the “Final Investment Decision” promoted by Rockhopper Exploration Plc and Navitas Petroleum Lp in the “Sea Lion” field, described as initiatives that “seek to ignore Argentine sovereign rights and violate resolutions of the United Nations”.

Finally, Argentina reiterates its diplomatic disposition: “The Argentine Republic expresses, once again, its willingness to resume bilateral negotiations with the United Kingdom”, with the objective of achieving “a peaceful and definitive solution” and putting an end to “the colonial situation”.

The closing of the message is as symbolic as it is political: “By history, by law and by conviction: the Malvinas are Argentinian

”.

President Javier Milei's response was not long in coming, in line with the forcefulness of the statement: “THE FALKLANDS WERE, ARE AND ALWAYS WILL BE ARGENTINE. VLLC!” , reaffirming the centrality of the demand in its foreign policy

.

The Argentine position comes after a strong statement by the British government headed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose spokesman said: “The issue of the Malvinas Islands and their British sovereignty, with the right of the islanders to self-determination, are not in question.”

This reaction came after the leak of an email from the Pentagon —whose authenticity was not officially verified—that would include possible retaliation by the United States against NATO allies, including the United Kingdom, for their lack of alignment with Iran during the Donald Trump administration.

According to the document, Washington would consider reviewing its diplomatic support for “imperial possessions”, explicitly mentioning the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, which would open up a scenario of geopolitical pressure.

The information was released by Reuters and replicated by media such as The Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Sun, The Independent and The Guardian.

The British government once again relied on the 2013 referendum, where 98% of voters chose to remain under British rule, a consultation that Argentina does not know because it considers invalid under international law.

At the same time, Javier Milei's administration maintains that it is making concrete diplomatic progress. In recent statements, the President stated: “We are making progress like never before,” and added: “Sovereignty cannot be negotiated, but it must be done with a brain”, also highlighting international support such as that of Chile. The growing sympathy with Donald Trump also plays a key role. This week, U.S. official Thomas G. DiNanno highlighted Argentina's “commitment to confronting Iranian-backed terrorism” and announced an expansion of cooperation in military equipment, cyber defense and security force training

.