Argentina’s vice president has told residents of the Falkland Islands to “go back to England”, after a leaked memo from the Pentagon suggested the US could review its position on Britain’s claim to the territory.
Leaked Pentagon Memo Sparks Tensions
The internal memo, leaked last week, listed a change in US policy as a potential punishment for Nato allies refusing to join the US-Israeli strikes against Iran. The islands are administered by the UK but are still claimed by Argentina, whose president Javier Milei is a close ally of Donald Trump.
After news of the memo emerged, Argentina’s vice president took to social media on Saturday to affirm her nation’s claim on the South Atlantic territory. “Today, more than ever, the Malvinas are Argentine,” Victoria Villarruel wrote on X. “The discussion over the sovereignty of our islands is between states, therefore the United Kingdom must discuss bilaterally with Argentina the claim that we maintain for legal, historical and geographical reasons.”
She added in another post: “The Kelpers [Falkland Islanders] are English people who live in Argentine territory; they are not part of the discussion. If they feel English, they should go back to the thousands of miles away where their country is.”
Historical Context and Recent Reactions
Britain and Argentina fought a brief war in 1982 over the islands after Argentina made a failed bid to take them. Some 650 Argentine soldiers and 255 British troops died before Argentina surrendered. On Friday, Downing Street was forced to insist the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is “not in question”, while the territory’s government said it had “complete confidence in the commitment made by the UK government to uphold and defend our right of self-determination”.
The reports followed the leaked memo, which suggested reassessing US diplomatic support for “imperial possessions” such as the Falklands as an option to punish Nato allies in retaliation for their perceived lack of support in Trump’s war on Iran. The Pentagon email lays bare the tense relations between Britain and the Trump administration, which have broken down in recent weeks.
US Relations and Falklands Veteran Response
The US president has hit out repeatedly at Nato allies since he launched his offensive in Iran, branding the alliance a “paper tiger” and threatening to withdraw from the alliance altogether. He has also repeatedly attacked Britain and Sir Keir Starmer, saying he was “no Winston Churchill” after he initially refused to grant a request from the US to attack Iran from British bases.
The reports that the US could review its position on the islands were branded a “cruel joke” by Falklands veteran Simon Weston. Writing for The Independent, Mr Weston – who was injured serving in the conflict during the bombing of the RFA Sir Galahad – described the shifting position of the US as “unnecessary” and “unfair”, warning that Mr Trump’s words could “spark his friends in Argentina” into restarting another similar conflict.
