UK defence minister says country can defend Falklands — MercoPress
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said that Argentina “does not have the capability” to seize the Falkland Islands and that the United Kingdom is able to defend them. In an interview with The Sun on Sunday, he answered affirmatively when asked whether London could defend the archipelago if Buenos Aires sent warships, MercoPress reports.
The United Kingdom’s position
“This is not 1982,” Streeting said, calling Argentine President Javier Milei’s position “the same old baseless propaganda.” He also said that the issue of the islands was “settled in 1982” and that an overwhelming majority of the archipelago’s residents choose to be British.
The British position, which Argentina disputes, is based in part on the 2013 referendum. At that time, 99.8% of participants, with turnout at 92%, supported retaining the status of a British Overseas Territory. Buenos Aires considers the sovereignty dispute unresolved. The archipelago remains on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
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Statements at the UN
Streeting’s comments were published three days after Milei’s speech at the UN General Assembly. The Argentine president called on the organization to respond to what he described as the United Kingdom’s unilateral actions and stated that the principle of self-determination does not apply to the archipelago. At the same time, British media also linked Streeting’s remarks to Milei’s televised address of September 3, so it is unknown which of his speeches the minister was responding to.
Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, exercising his right of reply, said that the British occupation, according to Buenos Aires’ position, began in 1833. He also reiterated Argentina’s readiness to resume negotiations. That same week, the United Kingdom entered a written objection into the General Assembly record.
The 1982 war between Argentina and the United Kingdom lasted 74 days. It killed 649 Argentine servicemen, 255 British military personnel and three residents of the archipelago.
