Argentina’s Milei says UN ‘looking the other way’ on Falkland Islands

Argentina steps up its Las Malvinas claim as tensions with the United Kingdom grow over offshore oil drilling.Argentine President Javier Milei has accused the United Nations of “looking the other way” on Argentina’s long-standing dispute with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, known to Argentines as Las Malvinas.Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Milei called the islands a “national cause” and took aim at British-backed plans to extract oil from waters Argentina claims as its own.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Why do the Falkland Islands matter to the UK and Argentina so much?list 2 of 4Argentina steps up legal campaign against Falkland Islands oil firmslist 3 of 4Argentinian judge orders suspension of Falklands oil projectlist 4 of 4Argentina’s Left stages ‘March of Anger’ over Milei’s austerity measuresend of listAt the centre of the latest dispute is Sea Lion, a major oil project about 220km (140 miles) north of the islands, which Argentina considers illegal. The owners of the project, UK-based Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum, are expected to begin drilling in the coming months, with production planned for 2028.Earlier this month, Argentina began sanctions proceedings against 60 companies and individuals linked to offshore drilling near the islands. British officials have rejected the measures, saying the Falklands have the right to develop their own natural resources.Milei also argues the project runs counter to a 1976 UN General Assembly resolution calling on Argentina and the UK to negotiate over the sovereignty dispute and avoid unilateral action in the meantime.“Any such activity not authorised by the Argentine Republic … constitutes an unlawful act,” Milei said on Wednesday. He said Argentina had chosen a “peaceful, practical, and effective defence” of its claim.Along with the sanctions, his government has also announced new funding for a naval base in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina’s southernmost province, to bolster its military presence near the islands.The Falklands are a largely self-governing UK overseas territory in the South Atlantic. Britain has administered the islands since 1833, but Argentina has long claimed sovereignty.