Javier Milei will be the first Argentine president to visit the United Kingdom in the 21st century, according to statements by the ultra-president published by the English press. The trip would take place in 2026 and Milei would seek to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but also far-right Nigel Farage. The Argentine president’s statements were published this Wednesday by the newspaper The Daily Telegraph and were reproduced by various English media. So far there has been no official confirmation from the Argentine government.
The last Argentine president to set foot in London was Carlos Menem (1989-1999), and that happened 27 years ago, in October 1998. Milei’s idea, according to the article, is to travel next April or May. “It would be a visit I would learn a lot from,” he said. The telegraph and assured that he had also invited Starmer to an official meeting in Buenos Aires. Farage has been praised for his vision of Brexit.
According to the publication, Milei also assured that his government was working for the United Kingdom to lift or moderate restrictions on the sale of British military weapons to the South American country, an imposition derived from the Falklands War. Asked if there were negotiations in this direction, Milei replied in the affirmative: “Absolutely,” he replied. The same English newspaper cites British government sources who deny these negotiations.
After the 1982 war, and while Argentina maintained its claim to sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, the United Kingdom prevented the South American nation from acquiring weapons or equipment with British components so as not to increase the country’s military capacity. Milei’s unconditional alignment with the United States, particularly with Donald Trump, could favor – according to different versions – a relaxation of restrictions, to strengthen an American ally in the region, particularly in the South Atlantic.
“There is no world power without military power,” he quotes. The telegraph to Milei. “No country counts in the international context if it cannot defend its borders.” The ultra government claims the role of the armed forces in the country and insists on the need to equip and strengthen them. Over the past weekend, F-16 fighter jets purchased from Denmark arrived in Buenos Aires.
In the interview published this Wednesday and broadcast by numerous English media, Milei reiterates his position regarding Argentine sovereignty over the Falklands. “I’m not ceding territory in any way, but it’s clear that people will end up voting with their feet,” he said. And he added: “As I believe that the solution must be sought through peaceful and diplomatic solutions, I think that the best way to demonstrate Argentina’s willingness is to demonstrate that we also have a mature commercial relationship. »
On several occasions, the president’s position on the Malvinas has sparked controversy in the country, because it implies admitting the right to sovereign self-determination of the inhabitants of the islands. This power is defended by the United Kingdom, but Argentina has historically rejected it with the argument that it is a population established during the colonization of the territory. Milei has shown signs of rapprochement with the United Kingdom, such as the restoration of flights to the Falklands, and has always declared himself an admirer of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
This December 10, Milei celebrated two years as president of Argentina. He celebrated the anniversary in Norway, where he traveled to participate in the presentation of the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan leader María Corina Machado. He was due to meet King Harald V and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, but he surprisingly suspended his activities in Oslo and brought forward his return to Buenos Aires, where he would land this Thursday.
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