Argentine President Javier Milei announced new measures to halt the Sea Lion offshore oil project, located about 220 kilometers north of the Falkland Islands, where British company Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum plan to begin drilling in the coming months and start production in 2028. He threatened tougher sanctions against the companies involved and announced funding for a naval base in Tierra del Fuego to bolster Argentina’s military presence near the archipelago. Milei seized on comments by Donald Trump suggesting the United States could reconsider its neutrality on the islands’ sovereignty, arguing this demonstrated the value of his alliance with Washington. Britain’s Defense Secretary reaffirmed that the UK’s commitment to the Falkland Islands was « unshakeable, » while Argentina, facing declining approval ratings and a struggling economy, views the dispute as a political opportunity ahead of next year’s elections.
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