Politics
Donald Trump Accused Of Falklands Support Threat
Donald Trump has been criticised after he suggested America could withdraw its support for Britain over the Falkland Islands.
The US president said he was “reviewing” his position on the British Overseas Territory.
Argentina claims the Falklands, which it calls the Malvinas, belongs to them.
That is despite the fact that a referendum in 2013, 99.8% of those living there said they wanted to remain British.
At the recent World Cup, Argentina’s players sparked controversy after unfurling a banner saying “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” (the Malvinas are Argentine) after they beat England 2-1 in the semi-final.
America’s official position is that it is neutral on the islands’ sovereignty, which in practice means it supports the status quo.
However, it has been reported that the Trump administration could instead support Argentina’s claim because the president does not believe the UK is spending enough money on defence.
Asked on Monday whether he was reviewing the US’s position, Trump said: “I always review positions, and that’s one of them.”
His comments sparked an angry backlash online, with one social media user accusing Trump of behaving like a Mafia boss.
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