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Argentine President Javier Milei stated this Monday that the alliance with the United States government is the "key" to recovering the Malvinas Islands and blamed his vice president, Victoria Villarruel, for causing "tension" with the British government over comments regarding this issue.
"The United States has changed its strategic vision of the world; it views this from a political perspective, and a reliable ally is needed at the crossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Argentina is meeting all those conditions, and that is the key that will allow us to recover the Malvinas," Milei said in an interview with Radio Mitre.
Regarding Argentina's sovereignty claim, which lost control of the Atlantic archipelago in 1833—when it passed into British hands—he said: "The Malvinas cause is non-negotiable, and since the return of democracy, we are the ones who have done the most toward the ultimate goal, which is for the Malvinas, South Georgia, and South Sandwich Islands and all the surrounding maritime space to return to Argentina."
He highlighted that, "for the first time, the UN is forcing England to sit down and talk," a statement that clashes with the fact that to date, and for decades, the international body has only issued non-binding resolutions in favor of Argentina, and there have never been official negotiations between Buenos Aires and London on the matter.
Milei added that "in England itself, opinions are divided" because "there are parts of the political spectrum that consider they should return the islands to us because they are ours."
In the same interview, he criticized his vice president, Villarruel, who on the eve of the 2026 World Cup semifinals had expressed via social media that Argentina would be facing "usurping pirates" and "invaders," and that the match was linked to the conflict over the Malvinas.
"That situation did indeed generate some tension in London, and there was some communication with the country," acknowledged Milei, annoyed by Villarruel's intervention in this matter, days after the vice president insinuated that the president suffers from mental health issues.
Milei insisted on his 2023 election running mate, who is now a political enemy: "She is an inconsequential person within the government, and everyone knows she is an opponent."
He also acknowledged being aware of the Sea Lion hydrocarbon production project in a maritime zone claimed by Argentina and near the Malvinas, which is being developed by British and Israeli companies: "We have made the pertinent claims and it is being discussed on a diplomatic level."
"We are allies of the United States and Israel, but that is a private company. In a serious country, there is no interference in the private sector," he argued.
[Publicidad]