The United Kingdom has refuted a statement made by President Javier Milei, which asserted that Argentina is engaged in discussions with London regarding the potential lifting of a weapons ban that has been enforced since the Malvinas War more than four decades ago. In an interview Milei indicated that the government has initiated discussions with Downing Street regarding the arms export restrictions, and he indicated that those discussions had been assigned to the Defence Ministry. A spokesperson for the British Foreign Office refuted those assertions in a statement, asserting: “There are no specific talks with Argentina about the UK relaxing its arms export controls.” The Islas Malvinas, referred to as the Falkland Islands in the United Kingdom, operates as a self-governing British overseas territory with a population exceeding 3,000, situated approximately 13,000 kilometres from London and a mere 480 kilometres from the Argentine coast.
In 1982, the UK, under the leadership of then-prime minister Margaret Thatcher, dispatched a military taskforce to reclaim the islands following an invasion by Argentina, which was governed by a repressive military dictatorship at the time, in an attempt to assert its sovereignty claim. During a span of 74 days of conflict, the casualties included 649 Argentines, 255 Britons, and three islanders. Since then, Britain has maintained a policy of continuing “to refuse licences for export and trade of goods judged to enhance Argentine military capability,” according to the UK government’s website. Milei confirmed in his interview with the Telegraph that negotiations regarding the sale of weapons containing British components to Argentina have indeed commenced: “Absolutely.” “There are no world powers without military power,” he stated to the right-wing publication. “No nation holds significance in the global arena if it lacks the capability to safeguard its borders.” The Telegraph reported that the discussions were being driven by a “lobbying effort … from Argentina and the US to change the rules.”
A spokesperson claims that any “specific” discussions regarding the arms embargo are currently taking place. The statement from the British government indicated that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour administration expressed interest in engaging in discussions across various other domains. “More broadly, we anticipate enhancing our collaboration with Argentina in sectors such as trade, science, and culture to foster growth for the British populace,” it stated. Sources indicate that Milei’s administration is eager to enhance trade. Milei also informed the publication of his plans to visit Britain, with a trip tentatively scheduled for April or May next year, and the most recent Argentine president to make a visit to the United Kingdom was Carlos Menem, who journeyed to London in October 1998. The Telegraph reported that Milei plans to engage with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and opposition figures, notably including Nigel Farage, the leader of the far-right Reform Party.
Milei, who has previously characterized Thatcher as one of his political idols, commended Farage’s “vision” and expressed that he would “learn a lot” during a visit to the UK, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has confirmed his invitation to Buenos Aires for an official visit. The leader of La Libertad Avanza also indicated a preference for the Malvinas to be transferred to Argentina through diplomatic channels. “Since I consider that the solution is to be sought through peaceful and diplomatic means, I believe that the most effective way to demonstrate Argentina’s willingness is to establish a commercially mature relationship,” Milei stated. “The sovereignty of the Falkland Islands remains non-negotiable, and we will uphold its right to self-determination,” stated the UK government in its announcement. Britain maintains its historical claim over the islands, highlighting that a staggering 99.8 percent of residents expressed their preference to remain British in a referendum held in 2013, and Argentina has asserted its claim over the archipelago, situated approximately 600 kilometres from its coastline in the South Atlantic, for nearly two centuries, grounded in the premise that the United Kingdom “occupied the islands by force in 1833, expelled the original population and did not allow their return, violating Argentina’s territorial integrity.”