Argentine minister Presti opens up to US mediation on the Falklands-Malvinas and announces new naval base in Ushuaia

The Argentine Defense Minister, Carlos Presti, welcomed the hypothesis of US mediation in the dispute over the Falkland-Malvinas Islands, following President Donald Trump's recent statements.

"It is not against anyone, but in favor of a peaceful solution," said Presti, quoted by the Argentine newspaper Clarín, underlining that sovereignty over the islands remains a "national cause" and that the only way to recover it is "in a peaceful and diplomatic manner". Trump had called a possible new conflict between Argentina and Great Britain over the islands a "potential disaster", offering himself as a mediator.

Presti also defended the strategic alliance with Washington and announced that work on a new naval base in Ushuaia will begin in January 2027, with an expected investment of $450 million. The structure, he explained, will serve to strengthen Argentina's presence in the South Atlantic and towards Antarctica.