Argentina's leader acknowledges that the Falklands remain British

Argentina's leader acknowledges that the Falklands remain British

Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, acknowledges that the Falkland Islands are now "in the hands of the UK."

The right-wing lawmaker promised in a BBC interview that there was "no instant solution" but that diplomatic routes will be used to regain the islands.

His words about the Falklands' status vary from those of previous presidents who have always maintained that the islands belong to Argentina.

President Milei said that Argentina does not "seek conflict" and acknowledged that it may take decades to attempt to wrest sovereignty of the Falkland Islands from the United Kingdom.

On the 42nd anniversary of the Falklands War in early April, he had pledged a "roadmap" for the islands to become part of Argentina.

Politicians who "beat their chests demanding sovereignty of the islands, but without any result" had drawn criticism from him.

In 1982, a conflict broke out between the United Kingdom and Argentina over British foreign territory, known as the Malvinas in Argentina.

Three islanders, 649 Argentine troops, and 255 British forces lost their life in the assault.

President Milei, however, paid tribute to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during the Falklands War.

In his presidential palace office, where a display table had some Margaret Thatcher memorabilia, he was giving a speech.

A bust sculpture of the previous president of Argentina, a water bottle with his picture, and a picture of the band the Rolling Stones were arranged elsewhere.

During the conflict, Lady Thatcher gave the order to sink the Argentine navy cruiser General Belgrano, which killed 323 persons on board.

President Milei said, "Criticizing someone because of their nationality or race is very intellectually precarious," when asked whether he still liked her. I have listened to many of Margaret Thatcher's talks. She was quite intelligent. What then is the issue?

Argentina has long maintained sovereignty over the islands situated 300 miles off its coast and 8,000 miles from the United Kingdom in the south-west Atlantic Ocean. In Buenos Aires, a courtyard of the presidential palace has a plaque honoring them.

When Lord Cameron, the foreign secretary of the United Kingdom, visited the islands in February, he said that their sovereignty would not be discussed.

"If that territory is now in the hands of the UK, he has a right to do that," said President Milei. That doesn't seem like a provocation to me.

Given that many Argentines and previous presidents have always denied that the islands were British, the statement appears noteworthy.

Islanders voted in favor of the UK staying as their foreign territory in 2013, the year Lord Cameron was prime minister.

"Within the framework of peace," according to President Milei, he wanted the islands to become part of Argentina.

He said, "We are not going to seek conflict with the United Kingdom, nor are we going to relinquish our sovereignty."

He said that this would need "long-term negotiation" and that "it's going to take time" instead of providing a timeline.

He told the BBC that the UK may not want to negotiate right now when they were asked why they would consent to this. They may want to at a later time. Over time, several jobs have evolved.

When pressed, he acknowledged that it may take decades, even if he disputed that it was a top priority. This was in reference to the 1997 transfer of Hong Kong from the UK to China.

Compared to his left-wing predecessor Alberto Fernandez, who referred to the islands as "stolen land" and the UK's claim to them as "disgusting," his tone is much more restrained.

Argentina breached a cooperation agreement and pressed for the resumption of discussions on the islands under his direction.

Given his extreme stance on other issues during his campaign—such as using a chainsaw to represent his goal to cut state and public expenditure, which he also justified in the interview—some people have been taken aback by President Milei's strategy.