Trump claims he could ‘settle’ a war over the Falklands

US President Donald Trump has expressed his willingness to "settle" any conflict over the Falkland Islands, describing a war between the UK and Argentina as a "potential disaster." During a visit to Dublin, Trump commented on the dispute while sitting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin. He suggested that the UK would not be willing to travel far if Argentina invaded the Falklands, as it did in 1982, and that the journey would take "weeks by boat."

Trump also mentioned that Argentina faced issues with immigration and energy, which he believed they needed to address before engaging in a conflict. He added that he may be called upon to mediate the situation if it escalates. This comes amid heightened tensions over the Falklands, with the population largely favoring British rule.

Argentina's President Javier Milei, a supporter of Trump, reiterated Argentina's claim to the islands in a televised address and imposed sanctions on oil companies operating in the region. The UK's Prime Minister Andy Burnham vowed to defend the Falkland Islanders' right to be British. While the US maintains a neutral stance on the Falklands sovereignty issue, it did support the UK's campaign to reclaim the islands following the 1982 Argentinian invasion, which resulted in significant losses on both sides.