London rejects the arbitration requested by Argentina over oil in the Falklands and questions its "reliability" as a partner

The government of the United Kingdom rejected this Wednesday the decision by the Argentine Executive to initiate an international arbitration over oil exploration in the Malvinas Islands — called the Falklands by the British — warning that this behavior "raises questions about Argentina's reliability as a partner of the United Kingdom." In a statement issued this Wednesday, the UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Overseas Territories, Uma Kumaran, denounced that the step taken by Buenos Aires under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) constitutes "the latest attempt to undermine the rights and livelihoods" of the inhabitants of the archipelago. Kumaran also stressed that the islanders have chosen their future "freely and democratically" and have "every right to develop and manage their natural resources without intimidation, coercion, or interference from third parties." The Falkland Islands are British. We will always defend the Falkland Islanders' right to self-determination. Read the United Kingdom's response to Argentina's latest attempt to undermine the rights of Falkland Islanders below. pic.twitter.com/dwobfm98o4— Uma Kumaran MP (@Uma_Kumaran) September 30, 2026 The British complaint was formally conveyed through the summoning of the Argentine ambassador in London, Mariana Plaza. During the meeting, the British government informed the diplomat that the "efforts to obstruct lawful economic activity" on the islands do not constitute "the acts of a responsible international relationship," but rather deliberate attempts to damage the economic prosperity of a self-governing people. So far, the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet issued an official response regarding this meeting. Latest diplomatic clash This new diplomatic clash comes in the wake of the recent announcement by the Argentine government to halt hydrocarbon exploitation in the North Malvinas Basin, an initiative known as the Sea Lion Project. Argentine President Javier Milei warned on Monday through a statement that, if the United Kingdom did not stop the "illegitimate exploitation" within two weeks, the country would go to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. In the face of these accusations, London insists that the oil activities are regulated by the legislation of the Malvinas Islands and are carried out "in full compliance with international law." Likewise, the British government reiterated that it will continue working "shoulder to shoulder" with the local authorities and reaffirmed Prime Minister Andy Burnham's "unwavering" support for the islanders' right to determine their own future. This new escalation in the diplomatic conflict between the two countries comes after British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting stated last Sunday that Argentina "does not have the capability" to take control of the Malvinas and that, on the contrary, the United Kingdom is capable of defending the archipelago. "This is not 1982. The Argentines lack the capability to take the Malvinas Islands. We have the capability to defend them," Streeting said in an interview published by The Sun on Sunday.