Argentina's President Javier Milei has announced a televised address for Thursday on what he calls the "sacred" issue of the Malvinas (Falkland Islands), after US President Donald Trump declined to rule out reviewing Washington's traditionally neutral stance on the territorial dispute. The move signals a renewed push by Buenos Aires to assert its sovereignty claim, emboldened by Trump's comments, and comes amid mounting pressure on Britain's hold over the South Atlantic archipelago, which Argentina has claimed since its failed 1982 invasion.

The announcement follows a separate legal challenge, launched on Tuesday by Argentine war veterans and environmental lawyers, seeking to halt the Sea Lion oil project run by Britain's Rockhopper Exploration and Israel's Navitas Petroleum roughly 137 miles from the islands, on the grounds it breaches a UN resolution against unilateral action during the dispute. The 1982 Falklands War, triggered by Argentina's attempted seizure of the islands and Margaret Thatcher's naval response, killed 649 Argentines, 255 Britons and three islanders. Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty urged the new UK Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to challenge Milei robustly ahead of his UN General Assembly appearance next week, where Andy Burnham is also due to attend.