Inside Milei's Two-Week Ultimatum to U.K. Over Falklands Oil Exploration
"These latest threats are another attempt to deny the Falkland Islanders the right to pursue their own economic development," a U.K. Foreign Office spokesperson told TIME.
Argentine President Javier Milei has given the United Kingdom a two-week ultimatum to halt an oil exploration project off the Falkland Islands, or face legal action at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The Sea Lion offshore oil project, a collaboration between British and Israeli companies, could be considered an "illegal plundering of Argentina's resources" by Milei.
The Falklands, known as Islas Malvinas in Argentina, have been a British territory since the early 19th century, despite Argentina's ongoing claim to the islands. U.K. officials have dismissed Milei's threat, asserting their commitment to supporting the Falkland Islanders' right to self-determination, which was affirmed in a 2013 referendum.
The dispute centers around the estimated 1.7 billion barrels of oil present in the Sea Lion oilfield. Argentina has previously utilized international legal mechanisms to address maritime disputes, most notably in a 2012 arbitration case against Ghana. However, the international court typically does not rule on territorial sovereignty issues. Milei's move to invoke international law follows his recent criticism of the United Nations.
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