Thursday, July 16th 2026 - 20:48 UTC
Britain's Defense Ministry said HMS Medway made “a routine logistics visit” to Punta Arenas, supporting British Antarctic Survey operations in Antarctica.
Argentina's government released on Wednesday night, amid celebrations over its team's World Cup semifinal win against England, a note of protest to the United Kingdom over the movements of HMS Medway, a Royal Navy patrol vessel assigned to the Falklands. The protest had been formally lodged with the British Embassy in Buenos Aires on July 13, but the Foreign Ministry chose to make it public once the match had ended, fusing the diplomatic complaint with the gesture of the Argentine players, who celebrated with a banner backing the sovereignty claim.
According to the Foreign Ministry, HMS Medway sailed on July 4 and 5 from the islands toward Punta Arenas, in Chile, transiting Argentina's territorial sea without the prior notification that Buenos Aires says is required under the military confidence-building measures in force between the two countries. The statement expressed “the strongest rejection” of what it called a unilateral action and described the vessel as “illegally stationed” in the islands, in line with Argentina's long-standing position. The text invoked the 1991 Joint Declaration — which requires notification of certain military movements — and UN General Assembly Resolution 31/49, which urges both parties to refrain from introducing unilateral modifications while the dispute remains unresolved.
