Go back to England, Argentina’s vice president tells Falkland Islands residents
Argentina’s vice president has told Falkland Islands residents to “go back to Britain” after a leaked Pentagon memo suggested the US may review its stance on Britain’s claim to the territory.
An internal memo leaked last week described a change in US policy as potential punishment for NATO allies who refuse to join US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
The islands are administered by the United Kingdom 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 confirm his country’s claim to the South Atlantic region.
Victoria Villarruel wrote to X: “Today, the Malvinas are more Argentinian than ever.”
“The dispute over the sovereignty of our islands is between states, so the UK must dispute bilaterally with Argentina the claim we maintain for legal, historical and geographical reasons.
“Kelpers [Falkland Islanders] They are the British living in Argentine territory; they are not part of the discussion.”
In another post, he added: “If they feel English, they should go back thousands of kilometers away from where their country is.”
Britain and Argentina fought a brief war over the islands in 1982, following a failed attempt by Argentina to take them. Approximately 650 Argentine soldiers and 255 British soldiers died before Argentina surrendered.
On Friday, Downing Street was forced to insist that the Falkland Islands’ sovereignty was “unquestionable”, while the territory’s government said it had “full confidence in the UK government’s commitment to support and defend our right to self-determination”.
This followed news of a leaked memo proposing a reassessment of US diplomatic support for “imperial possessions” such as the Falklands as an option to punish NATO allies in retaliation for perceived lack of support in Trump’s war against Iran.
The Pentagon email reveals the tense relations between Britain and the Trump administration that have deteriorated in recent weeks.
Since launching his attack on Iran, the US president has repeatedly attacked NATO allies, 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 rejected a request for the US to attack Iran from British bases.
Reports that the US may review its position on the islands have been branded a “cruel joke” by Falklands veteran Simon Weston.
writing for IndependentMr Weston – injured while serving in combat during the RFA bombing Sir Galahad – He called the changing US position “unnecessary” and “unfair”, warning that Mr Trump’s words “could encourage his friends in Argentina to restart a similar conflict”.
