MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei reaffirms Falklands sovereignty, warns oil firms and vows to rebuild the armed forces

In a pointed warning, Milei addressed the final investment decision announced by Rockhopper Exploration and Navitas Petroleum for the Sea Lion field in the North Falklands Basin

Argentine President Javier Milei on Thursday reaffirmed his country's sovereignty claim over the Falklands Islands, warned of a diplomatic response to British oil exploration in the area, and announced that 10% of fiscal revenue from privatizations will be allocated to purchasing weapons and equipment for the armed forces.

In his speech marking the 44th anniversary of the South Atlantic war, delivered at Plaza San Martín in Buenos Aires before officials, military personnel, and veterans' families, Milei declared: “I wish to reaffirm our right to the full exercise of sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime spaces.” He said the 1982 conflict “did not alter the legal nature of this dispute, which continues to be recognized by the United Nations as a special and particular colonial situation that must be resolved through mature and sincere dialogue between Argentina and the United Kingdom.”

In a pointed warning, Milei addressed the final investment decision announced by Rockhopper Exploration and Navitas Petroleum for the Sea Lion field in the North Falklands Basin. “The country will respond with all necessary diplomatic measures to protect its rights and defend its interests,” he said, calling the activities “unilateral and illegitimate.”

The speech's central theme was the rehabilitation of the armed forces, which he described as “an institution unjustly vilified in the past, but now restored to the place it deserves, as a central part of our Republic.” Milei acknowledged a “salary debt” with military personnel and announced that defense reconstruction would be funded through a fixed percentage of privatization revenues. “We will allocate 10% of fiscal revenue from privatizations to the purchase of weapons and capital goods to strengthen our national defense system,” he said. “A country that aspires to be a protagonist on the global stage needs well-paid and well-equipped forces, commensurate with what the global context demands,” he added.

The president also signed a decree ordering the Presidential Secretary General's Office to organize a special tribute and official distinction for veterans in 2027, when the 45th anniversary of the war will be observed. “A recognition that the national executive branch has owed our heroes for many years,” he said.

Unlike last year's speech, when he drew attention by calling the islanders “Malvinenses” and conditioning the archipelago's recovery on its inhabitants “deciding to vote for us with their feet,” Milei this time avoided references to the islanders' consent.

The ceremony was attended by much of the cabinet, including Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni, who received a public embrace from the president amid an ongoing judicial investigation into alleged illicit enrichment.