Would a Falklands invasion constitute an attack on Nato?
Javier Milei said his Argentina will "prevail" and reclaim the islands, while Trump says Britain cannot count on help from the US
Britain has hit back at Argentina's advances to claim the Falkland Islands, after Donald Trump said he would not guarantee American support in the event of an invasion.
Argentine President Javier Milei insisted on Thursday that his country will "prevail" and reclaim the islands, stating that he could introduce sanctions on any oil companies working in the area.
He rejected a 2013 vote, in which 98% of islanders backed British rule, as "invalid" and said the UK was in decline, "facing multiple crises".
Britain has long held the Falkland Islands and prevailed in a two-month conflict in 1982, but having previously said he would "review" the UK's right to rule, Mr Trump has now said the US might not lend support to another defence.
The British government reaffirmed on Friday that "the Falklands are British - and will remain so".
But would Nato be obliged to support a British defence of the Falkland Islands?
Read also: ‘It is a close-knit community’: What is life like in the Falkland Islands?
What is Nato Article 5?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), formed of 32 nations, has a clause - Article 5 - that an attack on one member is considered to be an attack on all of them.
While there is no Nato army, it is a pooling of resources to protect mutual interests. Article 5 has only been invoked once, in 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Both the US and UK are Nato members, but Argentina is not.
Would a Falklands invasion constitute an attack on Nato?
No, Nato would not be expected to respond to an attack on a country’s land that is outside the Nato region.
Upon joining the organisation in 1949, the original 12 members all agreed to protect "the territory of any of the parties in Europe or North America... or on the Islands under the jurisdiction of any of the Parties in the North Atlantic area north of the Tropic of Cancer".
Because the Falklands are south of the Tropic of Cancer, its invasion would not trigger a Nato response.
Why didn't Nato respond to the Falklands' War?
Nato was not obliged to protect the Falkland Islands in the 1982 war because Article 5 of the treaty only demands protection of land north of the Tropic of Cancer.
However, the US did provide significant support to the United Kingdom and pledged to protect the North Atlantic from potential attacks after the British ships were sent south.