Argentine President Javier Milei escalated his country’s dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands by announcing a decree to sanction companies involved in oil exploration near the archipelago, specifically targeting the Sea Lion project. The measures will also apply to shareholders, directors, and suppliers, barring any businesses tied to the project from the Argentine market. Argentina views the project as illegal resource exploitation in its claimed waters, continuing a stance held since Britain took control of the islands in 1833.
The announcement followed remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting the U.S. might reconsider its neutral stance on the sovereignty dispute. In response to the developments, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Andy Burnham reaffirmed British sovereignty and the islanders’ right to self-determination, referencing a 2013 referendum. Milei also announced new funding for a naval base in Tierra del Fuego to strengthen Argentina’s military presence in the South Atlantic and access to Antarctica, arguing that Argentina needs greater economic and military strength to advance its claim.