Argentine President Javier Milei renewed Argentina’s claim to the Falklands, accused the UN of ignoring tensions over oil exploration and called for peaceful talks with Britain. Argentina began sanctions proceedings against more than 60 people and companies linked to the project.
Milei said the islanders do not have a right to self-determination. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain would stand firm and defend their right to self-determination and to remain British. Sea Lion project owners Navitas Petroleum and Rockhopper Exploration said they did not expect Milei’s actions to derail its development.
Milei has said the project violates a 1976 UN General Assembly resolution urging Argentina and Britain to resolve the sovereignty dispute through dialogue and avoid unilateral decisions. Last week, he presented a bill to toughen sanctions on people deemed to have unlawfully taken part in natural-resource activities in Argentina’s maritime spaces and continental shelf; it will first go to committee as the government weighs priorities. Opposition congressman Guillermo Michel accused Milei of using the dispute to improve his image or shift the agenda.
