The President of the United States, Donald Trump, warned this Saturday that a possible new conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands could become a “potential disaster,” although he assured that he trusts he could intervene to resolve the dispute if both countries requested his help.
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Trump addressed the issue before the press in Dublin, after meeting with the Irish Prime Minister, Micheál Martin, and stated that the islands seem “very interesting” to him and that currently Argentina and the United Kingdom are two countries that are “angry” with each other.
Asked about the possibility that tensions could lead to a new confrontation like that of 1982, the U.S. president responded: “I am sure they will call me to intervene in that potential disaster, but if they do, I will probably be able to solve it”.
Trump also recalled the British occupation of the islands and doubted that London would be willing today to deploy again at that distance given the internal problems that, in his opinion, the United Kingdom faces.
“They have a small problem with immigration, with energy and other problems to solve, so I don’t know if they will be willing to travel so far (…) we are talking about weeks on ships,” he said.
The statements come after, at the end of August, Trump said that his government was reviewing the U.S. position on the sovereignty dispute.
“I always review all positions. That is just one among many,” he then responded when asked about press reports indicating that Washington was considering changing its support for the British position as a pressure mechanism for London to increase its defense spending within NATO.
Those remarks were highlighted by the Argentine president, Javier Milei, who described the matter as “the most important and sacred cause we Argentines have.”
The Argentine foreign minister, Pablo Quirno, also reiterated Buenos Aires’ position: “The Falklands are at the center of every Argentine’s heart. It is an obligation and a responsibility for us to keep the sovereignty claim alive.”
Meanwhile, the Argentine government has intensified its agenda around the archipelago in recent weeks.
The Executive announced measures to toughen sanctions against companies exploiting hydrocarbons in the area without Argentine authorization, as well as to strengthen the Defense budget and promote an integrated naval base in Ushuaia.
Some of these decisions were formalized through decrees that granted the Argentine Foreign Ministry powers to coordinate state actions related to the sovereignty claim.
The government also initiated processes against companies related to oil activities in the area and is considering expanding restrictions to other sectors, such as fishing.
Additionally, Milei canceled a trip to the United Kingdom that was scheduled for October and chose to travel again to the United States, where he will participate on September 23 in a security forum in New York.
From London, meanwhile, the British government has tried to tone down the dispute and has stated that it seeks to maintain a “constructive” relationship with Buenos Aires, although it maintains that its position on the sovereignty of the islands is non-negotiable.
The British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, stated before the House of Commons that the United Kingdom will be “relentless” in defending its position on the islands.
“We will always respect the rights of the Falkland Islanders who decided to be British,” he said, referring to the 2013 referendum, in which 99.8% of voters supported maintaining the status as a British overseas territory.
The Falkland Islands have been under British administration since 1833, while Argentina maintains a sovereignty claim over the archipelago.
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