Donald Trump and Keir Starmer: The traditionally close relationship between the two governments is strained because of the Iran war.archive image: keystone
An internal Pentagon document reportedly proposes American punitive measures against undesirable NATO partners in Europe. The British government is against this.
April 25, 2026, 1:08 p.mApril 25, 2026, 3:37 p.m
Charlotta Siemer / t-online
Against the background of a media report about possible plans by the Trump administration to reconsider the USA’s previous pro-British stance on Argentina’s claim to the Falklands in the South Atlantic, the British government has now made a statement.
A government spokesman said sovereignty rested with the United Kingdom and the right to self-determination was of the utmost importance. The British spokesman pointed out that the Falkland Islands had voted “overwhelmingly” to remain a British overseas territory. Great Britain will not allow itself to be put under pressure.
Falkland Islands in focus
According to the Reuters media report, a message is said to be circulating in the Pentagon proposing measures against “difficult” NATO members who are supporting the US military in the war against the US Iran would not have supported. In the case of Great Britain, British territorial claims should be reconsidered.
London initially banned the use of military bases in the country for attacks on Iran, but then allowed it. Trump had the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized several times for this.
The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the southwest Atlantic and the subject of a sovereignty dispute between Great Britain and Argentina. The prime minister’s spokesman said, according to the BBC, “We have already made this position clear and consistent with successive US governments and nothing will change.”
The islands’ government said in a statement: “The Falkland Islands have every confidence in the British Government’s commitment to uphold and defend our right to self-determination.” They also pointed out that 99.8 percent of voters on the island voted to remain a British overseas territory.
“Lack of understanding”
Lord West, the former British Minister of State for Security, described the paper on the BBC as an expression of a “lack of understanding”. The US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth He therefore called him “stupid” and accused him of having no understanding of the NATO defense alliance. Lord West served as an officer during the 1982 Falklands War.
Great Britain and Argentina have historic claims to the archipelago in the southern Atlantic. Because of this there was a war in 1982.graphics: T-Online
British war veterans described Trump as a “tyrant” in the British Telegraph. He would “take advantage of the power of America behind him to achieve his personal goals and make history,” explained one of the veterans. Another added: “The islanders don’t deserve to become anyone’s political pawn.”
But according to the report, consequences are not only being considered for Great Britain. According to the unconfirmed paper, the Trump administration is said to have considered excluding Spain from the defense alliance. According to a spokesman, NATO has no possibility of suspending or expelling individual members.
Sources
(dsc/t-online)