MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei tells Telegraph Malvinas' claim non-negotiable

Milei was depicted as a solitary and methodical leader who managed to survive a hostile Congress

Argentine President Javier Milei sparked a fresh diplomatic controversy this week after telling London's The Telegraph that his country's sovereignty claim over the Falkland/Malvinas Islands was non-negotiable.

In an interview deserving front-page importance, the Libertarian leader insisted that his administration was the best in the South American country's history. He also discussed his plans for a trip next year to the United Kingdom, during which he was more than eager to meet with rightwing MP Nigel Farage.

On Tuesday morning, Milei celebrated on social media the importance given to his interview by the British outlet (front page) with his usual ironic comment “FENÓMENO BARRIAL” (neighborhood phenomenon) to once again highlight his growing international celebrity status.

Milei's trip is planned for April or May 2026. It would make Milei the first Argentine president to visit the UK since Carlos Menem in 1998. Central to this diplomatic push is Milei’s claim that Argentina has entered negotiations to lift the long-standing British ban on weapon sales, a restriction in place since the 1982 Falklands War.

In response, a British government spokesperson recently noted there were “no specific talks” regarding the relaxation of arms export controls. At the same time, Milei reiterated that Argentina's claim to the Malvinas Islands was “non-negotiable,” while underlining that the goal would be pursued through a peaceful, long-term diplomatic strategy based on negotiation and ultimately the consent of the local population.

While the digital version of the interview focused on Milei’s domestic economic “miracle,” the print edition distributed in the UK highlighted his enthusiasm for Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party.

Milei described a potential meeting with Farage as an opportunity to learn from the “very interesting vision” behind Brexit. This alignment underscores Milei’s broader strategy of building a global network of “radical right” allies, which already includes Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US President Donald Trump.

Throughout the interview, Milei remained bullish on his “shock therapy” economic model, citing a dramatic reduction in public spending and the stabilization of inflation, which fell from 25% to roughly 2.5% monthly.

Critics, however, continue to point to the humanitarian impact of these reforms, including the loss of hundreds of thousands of public-sector jobs, the closure of small businesses struggling under new open-market competition, and a US$20 billion currency swap from the Trump administration to avert a deeper economic collapse.

Milei was depicted as a solitary and methodical leader who spends his few leisure hours with his English Mastiffs or reflecting on his studies of Judaism. Despite the “chainsaw” rhetoric and eccentric public persona, analysts note that Milei has proven to be a surprisingly shrewd negotiator with a hostile Congress.

With a stable approval rating of roughly 47% and a clear path toward the 2027 elections, Milei’s “Libertarian experiment” continues to command global attention as he attempts to return Argentina to what he describes as its “rightful central role” on the world stage.