Milei’s history with Malvinas, from admiring Thatcher to defending sovereignty

President Javier Milei’s recent speech defending Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Malvinas Islands in the South Atlantic surprised many local political figures, who described it as a “180° turn” on his previous stances and actions on the matter. On Thursday, during a televised address, Milei aligned himself with the historic position Argentina has had on the islands, defending the country’s rights over the territory and its natural resources. He also announced plans to impose tougher sanctions on companies carrying out an oil drilling project in the area, and higher military presence and funding for national defense. Most of this, the Argentine opposition said, has to do with preexisting laws and projects aimed at protecting the nation’s interests. However, coming from Milei, this stance is new. In the past, Milei has vowed to “recover” the Malvinas, but has also made ambiguous and controversial comments on the issue, including seemingly defending the islanders’ right to self-determination. “We want to turn Argentina into such a power that [islanders] choose to be Argentine, without any further arguments or convincing required,” he said on April 2, 2025, during a ceremony honoring the Malvinas War veterans. Argentina’s historic position, which has been upheld by the United Nations in a 1965 resolution, is that the Malvinas were colonized by the British and the current population was implanted; therefore, islanders do not have a right to self-determination. Milei’s announcements come at a time in which tensions over the sovereignty dispute have been revived following the 2026 World Cup match between Argentina and England, which ended 2-1 with Argentine players displaying a banner that said: “The Malvinas are Argentine.” The topic has been on the public and news agenda since then — and it is possibly the one cause that unites all Argentines, despite political and ideological differences. Milei’s decision to change his discourse around it also comes when his popularity is swiftly dropping, as the campaign for the 2027 presidential elections slowly but surely nears. The opposition has called it opportunistic. But how has Milei’s stance on the Malvinas issue changed over the years? Thatcher love Before even dreaming of becoming president, Milei has expressed admiration for former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on several occasions, calling her “brilliant” and saying he feels “very identified with her in historical terms.” Thatcher was in charge of the UK government when the war broke out in 1982, sending the British armed forces to repel Argentine soldiers. She also ordered the attack on the Argentine Navy cruise ARA General Belgrano while it was outside the conflict zone, killing 323 Argentines. While Milei has always stated his devotion to her only had to do with her economic policies, his comments on Thatcher have always sat wrong with the majority of Argentines, according to polls that have measured this. “There was a war, and we ended up losing. That doesn’t mean you can’t acknowledge that those on the other side were people who did their jobs well,” he told the BBC in 2024. The BBC journalist who interviewed him at the time reported seeing a photograph of Thatcher in his office. In 2022, he said about Thatcher: “When she had to go to a war, she went there and won, even though we were on the other side.” Right to self-determination In September 2023, before their administration took office, Milei’s former Foreign Minister Diana Mondino told British outlet The Telegraph that “islanders’ rights will be respected, should be respected, and cannot be disrespected,” regarding a potential sovereignty deal. Milei later echoed her comments: “The Malvinas Islands belong to Argentina, sovereignty is not under discussion, but we must also acknowledge that there was a war and we lost […] Argentina and the United Kingdom must reach an agreement, but we cannot overlook the opinion of the islanders.” Milei said at the time he would advocate for a solution similar to China and the UK’s 1997 Hong Kong agreement, which established that the island would continue to be an autonomous region for the next 50 years. However, he has not pursued such a deal during his government. Argentina-UK pact Criticism also arose after, in 2024, Mondino signed a pact with then UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy to resume negotiations with the U.K. over humanitarian work, fisheries, and flights to the islands. The agreement included the continuation of Red Cross work to identify fallen Argentine soldiers buried on the islands, as well as resuming monthly flights from Córdoba province to the islands, and discussing a cooperation agenda for fisheries conservation. Critics argued that Argentina made major concessions to the UK on sovereignty of the islands by lifting flight and maritime control restrictions without gaining substantial benefits in return, while also treating the work of identifying fallen soldiers as a bargaining chip. In June 2026, the Milei administration was also questioned after current Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno formalized its intention to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This means that, for the first time since the 1982 Malvinas War, Argentina will be part of a free trade agreement in which it shares partner status with the UK. The World Cup incident Photos of Argentine footballers Giovani Lo Celso and Lisandro Martínez holding a banner that said “Las Malvinas son argentinas” during the Argentina-England match in July traveled the world and were celebrated by millions in their home country. However, the gesture did not sit well with Milei, who questioned it saying sports “should not be mixed” with politics. He also said that “while some dedicate themselves to ranting like mono-neuronal teens,” his government is “getting closer to recovering the Malvinas Islands through the diplomatic path,” although it remains unclear if he was referring to the players or to the reactions stirred by their actions. “It’s a football game. We shouldn’t fall for cheap, populist, nationalist, and rancid slogans. We can’t mix things,” he told Radio Mitre at the time. In another interview, Milei said Argentina needs to “sit down” with the UK to talk. “Part of the English consider that they should return the Malvinas to us because they are ours.” Maritime routes Tensions over navigation in the South Atlantic were revived in recent weeks after Tierra del Fuego province denounced a British oil tanker docked at the port of Ushuaia, the provincial capital, after the national government authorized it. The provincial government bans by law the docking of British vessels or those associated with oil exploration near the Malvinas. In addition, Chilean newspaper El Mercurio revealed on Thursday that Punta Arenas, a coastal city in southern Chile with access to the Pacific Ocean, had signed a deal with the government of the Malvinas Islands to establish a new maritime commercial route. Milei met with Chilean President José Antonio Kast on Thursday to settle frictions on Chile’s sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan, but did not address the issue of the new maritime route nor previous instances of collaboration between Chile and the UK regarding the Malvinas. Editorial disclaimer: Although the UK refers to the territory as the “Falkland Islands,” Argentina strongly contests this name. The Buenos Aires Herald uses “Malvinas” to refer to the islands.