Argentina with pro-Putin alliance in Ukraine weakens historic principles in Falkland Islands

Exactly 40 years ago, the Falklands War broke out between Argentina and the United Kingdom. After 73 days of fighting, Argentina was defeated in an attempt to retake the archipelago that the British had occupied in 1833. Forty years later, the current Argentine government’s alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin weakens Argentina’s claim. And the Ukrainian community in the country remembers that the descendants of Ukrainians went to fight in the Falklands to defend Argentina.

Exactly 40 years ago, the Falklands War broke out between Argentina and the United Kingdom. After 73 days of fighting, Argentina was defeated in an attempt to retake the archipelago that the British had occupied in 1833. Forty years later, the current Argentine government’s alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin weakens Argentina’s claim. And the Ukrainian community in the country remembers that the descendants of Ukrainians went to fight in the Falklands to defend Argentina.

Marcio Resende, RFI correspondent in Buenos Aires

Argentina’s failure to vehemently condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for “neutrality” undermines the “territorial integrity” argument, a principle of international law that guides the country’s historic claim to the Falkland Islands 40 years after the war. .Against England.

“The Argentine government has made a serious mistake by not condemning with sufficient force the heavy Russian invasion of Ukraine, in complete violation of the principle of ‘territorial integrity’, which has been the basis of Argentina’s diplomatic campaigns since the 1960s. Argentina considers that the Kingdom of the Kingdom has torn our country apart. Argentine chancellor Jorge Faurie (2017-2019) occupied the land by invading and occupying the islands in 1833, as he told RFI.

At the same time, the Argentine government does not unequivocally condemn the Russian invasion, strengthening the so-called self-determination of the Donestk and Lugansk Russians. This argument that Vladimir Putin used to invade Ukrainian territory is the same argument that Britain used to justify that those who wanted to belong to the UK were the ‘Kelpers’ (now Falklands residents). Archipelago by part of Argentina.

“We object to this British argument, because the Falklands population is not indigenous, but was transplanted by the UK to justify the annexation. Argentina should also have defended Ukraine’s territorial integrity, but the government’s response was unclear and confused for the world,” Faurie criticizes. .

“The Argentine government forgets that by not persistently criticizing Russia it overrules two principles that brutally hinder the claim in the Falklands,” he punishes, and recalls what then-President Cristina Kirchner (2007-2015) did in 2014. He did not condemn Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

The Ukrainian community in Argentina, which has around 500,000 people, equivalent to 1 percent of Argentina’s population, criticizes the so-called “neutrality” of the Argentine government. “Ukrainian society in Argentina takes the so-called Argentine neutrality very badly. As immigrants in this country for 127 years, we hoped that the Argentine State would accompany us in this terrible moment, not least because this community contributed with soldiers going to war. To defend Argentina. outgoing Falkland Islands”, Pedro Lylyk, honorary consul and head of the Central Representation of Ukraine in Argentina, told RFI.

During the Falklands War, 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British soldiers and three civilians from the islands died.

Deviation in Argentine foreign policy

“The source of the power of the ruling coalition [argentino] Cristina Kirchner is Putin’s staunch ally. Former Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie said the entire government is acting with the logic of not contradicting Kirchner, who is identified with Putin’s authoritarian system.

Last December, Argentina and Russia deepened the “Integral Strategic Union”, which they reached in April 2015. On February 3, amid tensions between Washington and Moscow, Alberto Fernández visited Putin at the Kremlin, announcing his “decision”. He presented Argentina as “Russia’s gateway to Latin America” ​​to Putin” and to liberate Argentina from such great dependence on the United States.

Former Argentine Vice-Chancellor Andrés Cisneros (1992-1996) “This Argentine government has a bias towards Russia and China for two reasons: one ideologically, the other financially. And this alliance undermines the Falklands’ claim to save history”. .

“On the one hand, the government thinks Russia is communist or anti-Western. ‘Kirchnerism’ is anti-system and looks fondly at despots around the world like Putin and Xi Jinping,” says Cisneros. “On the other hand, this government has left Argentina without international credit. Now it dreams of Russia or China putting money into Argentina as they did in Venezuela,” he says.

Britain’s condemnation benefits Argentina

According to Cisneros, “the Argentine government supports Russia by supporting the right to self-determination of the provinces of Donestk and Lugansk”, but does not go so far as to jeopardize Argentina’s claim because “the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2065 was ratified in December 1965. determines that the Falklands cause is a colonial situation”.

“It is true that the Argentine government’s position supports self-determination in Ukraine, but the UN has eliminated the main argument of the British by declaring that self-determination does not apply in the Malvinas case,” said the former chancellor.

In addition to the 10 General Assembly resolutions, the 39 UN Special Committee on Decolonization resolutions require the two countries to restart negotiations on the sovereignty of the archipelago.

Another incentive for Argentina to denounce the Russian invasion is the emphasis that the United Kingdom denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which 189 years ago invaded the Falklands and renamed the islands Falklands.

“The Argentine government did not take advantage of the Russian occupation, which was very similar to the British occupation. The British say there was never a British occupation because the Falklands were empty, but that is a lie. They were not empty”, Cisneros says, “that the government did not preserve historical Argentine principles.” “What the government calls ‘impartiality’ is, in fact, a betrayal of what Argentina has always believed most deeply in,” he complained.

sleep claim

Former Vice-Chancellor Andrés Cisneros stated that the thing that hurt Argentina the most was its loss of importance on the world stage and the absence of good allies. “Argentina has lost the world’s respect for arguing, and the world doesn’t care about the Falklands. If the claim on the Falklands were from Brazil, the Falklands would already be Brazil. It is necessary to have GDP, weight and national income. Brazil’s prestige for the world to hear,” he compares. .

“In the 40 years since the Falklands war, Argentina has lost weight in the world context. We cannot be naive. The Falklands will not be saved because we are right, strength and good allies. So the Argentine claim is dormant and I am very afraid it will last forever,” said Cisneros.