Argentine Defense Minister Carlos Presti on Sunday said that President Donald Trump’s recent remarks on the Falkland Islands seek to find a “peaceful solution” to the longstanding territorial dispute that Argentina maintains over the British islands.
Speaking to reporters alongside Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin during his recent official visit of Ireland, President Trump referred to the Falkland Islands dispute and said that he is sure that he would be able to settle it and prevent a “potential disaster” if needed.
“But if they do, I’ll probably be able to settle it out,” Trump said, per Bloomberg. “But right now, you have two countries that are not happy concerning the Falklands.”
Defense Minster Presti spoke with Radio Mitre on Sunday and affirmed that the President’s remarks “seek a peaceful solution to this whole issue.”
“All Argentines know that this is a national cause, and just as it is enshrined in our Constitution, we know that the only way to regain full sovereignty over the islands is through peaceful means,” Presti said.
For nearly 200 years, Argentina has maintained a territorial claim over the Falkland Islands — which they refer to as the Malvinas Islands — even though the archipelago has historically been part of the territory of the United Kingdom ever since British sailors arrived at its shores in the 1600s.
The Malvinas cause has since become an intrinsic part of Argentine culture and national identity, with virtually all governments actively upholding the dispute regardless of political ideology.
The Falkland Islands dispute once again regained traction over the past weeks after Argentine President Javier Milei announced a series of actions to “exercise our sovereignty” over the British archipelago, including imposing sanctions on oil companies operating on or near the Falklands, the construction of a new military base in Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province, and a series of diplomatic measures related to the territorial dispute.
Milei announced the new measures in response to “Sea Lion,” a joint British-Israeli offshore oil and gas project about 140 miles north of the Falkland Islands. The Argentine President and members of his administration have affirmed over the past weeks that the oil project stands in violation of a U.N. resolution which requested both Argentina and the U.K. not carry out unilateral actions “including the exploitation of natural resources” until the “controversy is resolved.”
During his interview with Radio Mitre, Defense Minister Presti detailed that construction works for the new military base in Tierra del Fuego will begin in January 2027 and will involve a four-year project spread across four different phases, totaling $450 million. Funding for the base’s construction, the Minister affirmed, will exclusively come from the Argentine State.
The plans call for six construction sites, including an over 1,900-foot long central pier, maritime services, and staff housing, among others. The first section of the pier is expected to be completed in 18 months, with full completion estimated for 2029.
Presti also highlighted the Argentine executive’s “integrated and coordinated” efforts in the territorial dispute. The Defense Minister further affirmed that President Milei and Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno are “monitoring the developments,” noting that the government’s alliance with the United States allows the country to “establish its position at the hemispheric level.”
The longstanding Malvinas dispute led to Argentina engaging in a 74-day war against the United Kingdom in 1982 prompted by the military junta in charge at the time, resulting in a catastrophic defeat for the South American nation.
Last week, President Milei announced that his administration will file criminal charges against Israeli oil company Navitas Petroleum over its involvement in the Sea Lion project. The company holds a majority 65 percent stake in the project, while the Salisbury-based Rockhopper Exploration holds the remaining 35 percent. Both companies explained earlier this month that Milei’s initial announcements were not excepted to have an effect on the development of Sea Lion. The companies also emphasized that they hold valid licenses from the Falklands Islands for the project.
The Falklands dispute had briefly retaken the spotlight in July during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. At the time, members of the Argentine national soccer team held a flag that read, “The Malvinas are Argentine” after Argentina defeated England in the World Cup semifinals, despite FIFA’s ban on messages of a political nature such as the Falklands dispute.
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