At this point, Argentina can send a half dozen hoods from the barrio and England wouldn’t do a damn thing to stop it.
Western Civilization is just about dead.
And what are those Russian supersonic long range bombers?
I’m wondering if this is some kind of payback for our role in Ukraine’s coup. I think that ticked Putin off.
“Russian politicians and pro-Kremlin newspapers have long taken Argentina’s side in the Falklands dispute, routinely criticizing Britain’s “colonial occupation” of the islands. “
you’ve got to be kidding me?
From a country with all that land, but obsessed with breaking off small parts of its neighbors?
Its only a problem because Britain considers its response must be restrained and that an invasion of the Falklands would not constitute activation of the NATO charter.
The Falklands were effectively uninhabited before the British set up camp there, so the notion of colonialism is rubbish.
The inhabitants are British, consider themselves British, and have zero desire to be Argentinian.
Britain actually invites war by leaving a small conventional force there. The only threat to the islands is Argentina. Either build up the conventional arms, which is financially draining, or pull them out totally with a simple caveat; tell Argentina that the Falklands are once and forever British and that an attack on the Falklands will result in the immediate nuclear annihilation of Argentinian military targets up to and including their ultimate headquarters in Buenos Aires.
An alternative strategy would be to reinforce the NATO charter making it perfectly clear that it covers all sovereign territories; e.g. Greenland, Falklands, Puerto Rico, the BVI, Spanish Morocco, etc.
A 19th century strategy would be an alliance with Chile, Paraguay, Brazil, and/or Uruguay, which promises huge swaths of Argentina to them in return for military support in the advent of another Falklands war.
Over 10 years? They might as well hand it over before it's taken from them.
An English expedition first discovered the islands in 1690 and named them after the Viscount of Falkland, and then in 1765 another British captain made the name official and claimed them for the King.
Argentina (which was a Spanish settlement) was not even called Argentina until the 1800's, and wasn't even an independent nation until 1861.
Would not surprise me....
Putin would love a distraction right now
Never underestimate the utter incompetence of the Argentines. Even if the UK pulled out of the Falklands, Argentina might still attack... and lose.
5.56mm