The UK said Thursday (July 20) the European Union made a "regrettable choice of words" when it referred to the British-run Falkland Islands as the Malvinas, the Spanish name preferred by Argentina.
Britain's sentiment was triggered by a declaration from an EU-Latin American summit Tuesday (June 18) referring to the South Atlantic archipelago as the "Islas Malvinas/Falkland Islands," which Argentina celebrated as a diplomatic win.
British Outpost in the Southern Atlantic
Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the islands, which are about 480 km (300 mi) from South America and home to some 3,500 people. The country further argued the islands were illegally taken from it in 1833, but the UK said its territorial claim dates back to 1765 and only sent a warship to the islands in 1833 to expel Argentine forces who sought to establish sovereignty over the territory.
Argentine President Alberto Fernández was in Brussels for the landmark summit and deal. He posted on Twitter about the agreement saying the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) have "adopted a motion on the Malvinas Question.
"Our sovereignty claim, by peaceful means and through dialogue, remains intact," he added.
The matter came to a head when British and Argentine forces fought each other over the control of the Falklands in 1982 in what was called the Falklands War. Argentina briefly seized the islands before British reinforcements drove them out.
The conflict claimed the lives of 649 Argentinians, 255 British troops, and three islanders.
In 2013, Falklanders overwhelmingly voted in favor of remaining a British overseas territory. It was also during this war that King Charles III's disgraced brother, Prince Andrew, served as a helicopter pilot for the Royal Navy.
PM Sunak's Aide: EU's Naming 'Regrettable'
Some in the UK saw the declaration as a snub to their country after it left the EU in 2020.
Max Blain, a representative for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said the EU officials had since "clarified their position," saying the matter would have been "entirely unacceptable" for the bloc to "question the Falkland Islanders' right to decide their own future.
"To be clear, the Falkland Islands are British, that was the choice of the islanders themselves," he added. "The EU has rightly now clarified that their position on the Falklands has not changed after their regrettable choice of words."
EU: It's UK's Loss
Earlier, European Council President Charles Michel retorted it was no longer the UK's problem if they were offended by the wording, citing Brexit.
"The UK is not part of the EU," he told the Financial Times Wednesday (July 19). "They are upset by the use of the word Malvinas. If they were in the EU perhaps they would have pushed back against it."
