(Bloomberg) –The president of the US, Donald Trump, said he could resolve the dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands if asked, and seemed to cast doubt on whether the British government would be able to marshal resources to defend the territory, if needed.
On Saturday, Trump was questioned about a recent phone conversation with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and whether the Falkland Islands had been among the topics discussed.
“I’m sure I’ll be called to deal with this potential disaster,” Trump said during a meeting with Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Dublin, part of a two-day visit to Ireland. “But if that happens, I’ll probably be able to resolve the situation. However, at this moment, we have two countries unhappy with the Falkland Islands issue.”
In his remarks, Trump also questioned whether the United Kingdom, which he has long criticized for its immigration and energy policies, would be able to handle any problems that might arise regarding the islands.
“The Falkland Islands, and I think at that time it was a different country, somewhat the United Kingdom, but they came in and took control. I’m not sure they’re doing that — they have a small immigration problem. They have a small energy problem and have a few other issues that they need to resolve,” Trump said.
“I’m not sure they would be willing to travel that far. It’s very far. We’re talking weeks of boat travel. So, I don’t know,” he added.
Read also: What is behind the new escalation between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands
The long dispute over the South Atlantic archipelago has intensified in recent weeks after Argentine President Javier Milei renewed his efforts to bolster his country’s claims to the territory. Milei threatened to impose new sanctions on oil companies operating in the region, in an attempt to assert his claim to the islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas.
The UK’s Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband reaffirmed British control over the Falkland Islands earlier this month, saying that the United Kingdom’s position is “unshakeable.”
Trump has already suggested that the US could veer away from its historically neutral stance on the sovereignty of the territory and, in an interview with GB News, hinted that he would not aid the United Kingdom in case of conflict. Trump harshly criticized the United Kingdom for not giving the US access to bases to launch strikes against Iran at the outset of the wars in the Middle East.
Milei, for his part, enjoys close ties with Trump, whose populist policies have been championed by the U.S. president and his allies.
© 2026 Bloomberg LP
