Milei is calling on the United Kingdom to lift the arms embargo on Argentina that dates back to the Malvinas War

Javier Milei’s government is seeking a complete repeal of the law by the UK Arms embargo which has been in force since the 1982 Malvinas War against Argentina Tightening or flexibilization, depending on the bilateral relations between the two countries, between which there was a strong bond in the past and then there was a latent tension due to the war and the sovereignty dispute of the South Atlantic islands.

This week the topic came up again in a confusing way, because… The Telegraph newspaper was published that Milei had informed him that negotiations had begun “Negotiations to review the restrictions that had held back his army since the Falklands War“And he even realized that there might be one Milei’s visit to LondonThis would be the first by an Argentine president since Carlos Menem in 1998.

According to the Telegraph article, Keir Starmer’s Labor government came out to deny that these negotiations are ongoing, but Clarion He spoke to senior sources in the Libertarian government who confirmed President Milei’s statements. Starmer and Milei are not in a relationship due to political differences. But they never criticized each other publicly.

The Telegraph article caused quite a stir. It was published in connection with the arrival of six F16 fighter jets in Argentinaof a total of 24 copies purchased from Denmark, which however come from the American company Lockheed Martin.

This also came amid the announcement by two oil companies operating in the Falklands without an Argentine consensus – Israel’s Navitas Petroleum and Britain’s Rockhopper – that they plan to produce oil in 2028. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno released a statement of protest and demanded that they not continue the said activities in the disputed area.

On the other hand, Milei also confronts her relationships with the world she supports unconditional alliance with Donald Trump, something that is worrying the UK, according to the London press. Or at least to the Labor government.

“There are no world powers without military power,” says journalist Louis Emanuel, who Milei told him actually submitted a report to him. “No country counts in the international context if it cannot defend its borders,” the president added.

When asked directly whether negotiations had begun to make the British veto more flexible, Milei Emanuel replied: “Absolutely.” The Telegraph wrote that it could reveal that Milei would be traveling to the UK in the year April or May next year and would like to meet Keir Starmer, as well as with opposition leaders, including Nigel Farage. And he also invited Keir on an official visit to Buenos Aires.

“Mr Milei insisted that the Falkland Islands would be returned to Argentina through diplomatic channels, unlike his more adamant predecessors,” the British newspaper adds.

“As I believe that the solution must be sought through peaceful and diplomatic solutions, I believe that the best way to demonstrate Argentina’s willingness is to show that we also have a commercially mature relationship,” the president added.

Milei claimed that He delegated these discussions to his defense minister, That just changed, from civilian Luis Petri to Lieutenant General Carlos Presti.

The new minister will continue the talks, it was said Clarion Springs near Presti. However, in the UK, both The Guardian, Sky News and the Telegraph itself reported that a Downing Street spokesman denied that there had been “concrete” discussions about easing export controls.

To tell the truth, as published Clarion At that time, negotiations with the British over the arms issue were ongoing They are from January 2025 as Juan Battaleme, the then Secretary for International Relations of now former Defense Minister Luis Petri, traveled to Great Britain.

There he raised the issue on behalf of the government. In fact, the British weekly newspaper appeared some time later The Economist published that there had been “secret military negotiations” between the United Kingdom and Argentina. Here, on the other hand, they did not consider them secret and said that when the United Kingdom always complained that Kirchnerism was in talks with Russia or China to buy weapons, The best thing was to lift the embargo completely that a partner like the current government goes out and buys equipment, weapons, components, etc. unrestricted.

Even if they have no British military components, Washington asked London for his opinion that Denmark is selling its fleet of 24 F16 fighter jets. They raised no objections.

“They were told that the current policy was unworkable and that we had this problem on the table. We are two democracies and the Malvinas War took place more than 40 years ago” said Battaleme Clarionwho now returned to his usual topics in international politics when Presti took over as minister.

“They were told that they gave the Argentine opposition the best argument to go to Russia or China, which was to maintain the embargo. And we told them that it was British democracy that sold arms to the Argentine dictatorship. And that they were the same ones who are restricting Argentine democracy,” which wants to be a global partner of NATO.

The point is what they will ask for. Just as Petri sought greater integration with the Foreign Ministry for these negotiations, which the now former minister Gerardo Werthein rejected, these are expected to resume with two now more integrated ministries between Quirno and Presti.

The problem is, however What will the islanders and Brits demand if they want Argentina to lift all legal restrictions? -they call “obstacles” fishing already at Oil companies in disputed waters. This is stated in two signed statements, one in 2016 with Macri and another in 2024 with Milei. None of them prospered. Argentina, due to its own legal claim to the Malvinas, opposes these operations with the archipelago’s natural resources.

The arms embargo has two channels. One called for the passage of weapons or military equipment Made in Britain or with British component in its production. Another reason is improvements in equipment and weapons.

From 1982, when the victorious Great Britain won the war for the Malvinas Islands, the armed forces were not only impoverished, dismantled, defeated, but also had problems even purchasing spare parts in the procurement of equipment in the military industry.

In light of British-Argentine tensions under Cristina Kirchner’s government in 2012, as the 30th anniversary of the war ended, the British Parliament approved a further tightening of weapons, that Mauricio Macri’s government was able to make 2018 more flexible – although not completely.

The latest complex situations on this topic were clear. For example, South Korea refused to sell him aircraft which the former Defense Minister Agustín Rossi wanted to buy. The United Kingdom also did not cooperate with the sale of some seats needed for the completion of five Super Étendard aircraft that the Macri government purchased from Emmanuel Macron for $12 million. They never flew. They arrived in Argentina and were decommissioned without a flight.