The president of the United States, Donald Trump, hinted this Monday that he might reconsider Washington's traditional position of support for British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. This is a territory over which the United Nations General Assembly has formally recognized the existence of a sovereignty dispute between London and Argentina.
Asked by the press at a press conference from his official office about this matter, the U.S. leader limited himself to stating: "I always review all positions. That is just one of many." With these words, the head of the White House avoided closing the door to a possible shift in his country's historical stance.
Specifically, journalists questioned Trump about whether he is reconsidering the United States' position regarding the Falklands. To date, the State Department maintains that the sovereignty of the archipelago belongs to the United Kingdom, although it agrees with the United Nations that the dispute with Argentina remains open and unresolved.
It is worth remembering that back in April of this year, the U.S. Administration studied a possible change of criteria regarding this issue, as a way to punish the British Government for its refusal to support the White House in the war against Iran. That possibility already generated concern in London and attention in Buenos Aires.
In that context, Argentina's Foreign Minister, Pablo Quirno, reacted by urging to "resume bilateral negotiations with the United Kingdom" after it became known that Washington was considering modifying its stance. The head of Argentine diplomacy emphasized the need to "find a peaceful and definitive solution to the sovereignty dispute and put an end to the special and particular colonial situation in which the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding waters are immersed."
At the same time, Argentine President, Javier Milei, decided to increase political and diplomatic pressure with a strong message on his social media, in response to Quirno's words, in which he stated that "the Falklands were, are, and always will be Argentine." With this, the occupant of the Casa Rosada reinforced Buenos Aires' historical claim over the archipelago.