Falkland Islands: Historical Heritage and Modern Challenges for Argentina and the United Kingdom

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the current international situation surrounding the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands. In April 1982, a conflict began between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, as a result of which the United Kingdom, emerging victorious, retained control over the Malvinas (Falkland) archipelago and demonstrated its status as a maritime power in the second half of the 20th century. Despite the age of the conflict, the issue remains relevant today. Argentina continues to assert its rights to the archipelago, utilizing diplomatic mechanisms, including an appeal to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in 2009. The current phase of this dispute is characterized by new aspects, such as the presence of oil reserves on the islands' continental shelf, making them a strategically important resource for both parties. Furthermore, the geographical location of the archipelago near Antarctica and its role in ensuring regional security add geopolitical significance to the conflict. The question of the ownership of the Falkland (Malvinas) archipelago is constantly raised by Argentina within the framework of the UN, and in 2024, the Argentine government announced its desire to resume bilateral negotiations on the status of the islands. The research employs methodological tools such as empirical methods for analyzing national documents and UN resolutions, general scientific methods like comparative analysis to study the arguments of Argentina and the United Kingdom regarding the ownership of the archipelago, and logical methods to formulate the conflict potential and draw conclusions. As a result of the research, the following conclusions were made. The question of the ownership of the Malvinas Islands remains relevant in the current realities of international relations, acquiring new aspects: economic, domestic political, and geopolitical. Almost all Latin American countries support Argentina or take a neutral stance in its favor. However, there is a noticeable fatigue in the world regarding this territorial dispute, although many countries are concerned about the associated issues that arise around the archipelago. Among these issues is the presence of British naval bases on the islands, which serves as a point of irritation for countries whose borders are in the South Atlantic, such as Brazil and Uruguay. Given that this issue is extremely multifaceted and represents a complex knot of historical, economic, and geopolitical factors, its resolution in the foreseeable future seems impossible.

Malvinas islands, Falklands islands, Latin America, Argentina, Great Britain, Oil, International relations, South Atlantic, Falklands war, Colonialism