Donald Trump has said the United States' position on the Falkland Islands is "one of many" currently under review, as he pressed the UK to increase its defence spending. The remark has prompted a firm response from British ministers, who insisted the islands' status as a British overseas territory is not in doubt.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, the US president was asked by the BBC whether he was reviewing Washington's position on the Falklands. He replied: "I always review every position. That's just one of many." When pressed with a follow-up question on UK defence funding, Trump said the UK has "got some problems, but they'll get solved".
The comments follow a report in The Daily Telegraph that US defence officials were drawing up proposals to incentivise Nato allies to meet their spending pledges, with a threat to oppose UK sovereignty over the Falklands listed among possible options.
A UK government spokesperson responded by saying Falkland islanders "are British with a right to determine their own future", adding: "The islanders have repeatedly expressed their wish to remain a British overseas territory and our commitment to them is unwavering."
The Falkland Islands, located in the south-west Atlantic Ocean, have long been the subject of a sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina. The two nations fought a brief but bitter war over the territory in 1982, after Argentine forces landed on the islands to stake a claim. A British military task force subsequently ejected the Argentine troops during the 74-day conflict, which led to the deaths of 255 British military personnel, three islanders and 649 Argentine military personnel.
Previous US administrations have formally recognised the UK's de facto administration of the islands but have not taken an official position on the question of sovereignty itself.
Trump's remarks were labelled "nonsense" by Labour MP Dame Emily Thornberry, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee. She called on the government to issue an official response in the House of Commons.
Foreign Office Minister Uma Kumaran told MPs: "The UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. They are and will always remain a British overseas territory in line with the wishes of the Falkland islanders. The UK is steadfast in our support for the islanders' rights of self-determination." Kumaran confirmed she had seen Trump's comments, adding: "Our position remains unchanged."
The row echoes an internal Pentagon email reported by Reuters in April, which suggested the US was considering options to punish Nato allies it believed had failed to support its involvement in the war in Iran. Those options reportedly included a review of the US position on Britain's claim to the Falklands. Reports of the proposal have resurfaced in recent days amid the broader debate over Nato defence spending targets.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will honour a commitment made by his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, to raise core UK defence spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product by 2035. Chancellor John Healey told The Times he would "set out a clear path" to meeting that Nato pledge at the next government spending review, expected in spring next year, and that this would include a target date for reaching 3% of GDP.
Healey resigned as defence secretary under Sir Keir Starmer's government following a dispute over military spending. His resignation letter in June set out his frustration that the government lacked a clear timetable for reaching the 3% target, which he believed should be achieved by 2030.
The UK government has also faced renewed scrutiny over the future of a deal to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing back the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia. The agreement was confirmed in April to have been paused indefinitely after Trump withdrew his support.
Kumaran told MPs on Tuesday that "maintaining long-term operational control and security of the base remains a top priority and is the entire basis for the UK-Mauritius agreement". She said funding for the treaty would be provided "within the existing spending review settlements" for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence.
Conservative shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge criticised the government's handling of the Chagos deal, saying it "belongs on the ash heap of history". In a statement, he said: "Burnham should show some backbone and break with this terrible legacy of the Starmer years by ditching his crazy Chagos deal once and for all, and spending the savings on our armed forces."
In the Commons, Conservative shadow Foreign Office minister Wendy Morton noted that Sir Keir's administration had acknowledged in April that the Chagos treaty had become "impossible to agree at political level", and asked what had changed since then. Kumaran said the government would "continue to work with the US and Mauritius to find a way forward that is in the UK's best interests and protects our national security".
