It is highly unlikely Argentina could invade the Falklands again, let alone remain there and hold ground, regardless of Donald Trump ’s hinted treachery.
He has suggested the US would not back the UK in any military confrontation with Buenos Aires - but America did little overt to help back in 1982. However the States did supply British forces with missiles and shared intelligence after repositioning a satellite to overwatch Argentina’s military moves.
The NATO Article Five ‘attack one of us and you attack all’ does not apply to the Falklands since it only counts if the attack occurs on a member's territory above the Tropic of Cancer. So Britain could not expect any overt military help from NATO allies but it didn’t back in 1982, even though since then it has emerged the UK did receive intelligence help. Despite the furore over the French selling Exocet missiles to Argentina, then President Mitterand did embargo arms sales to Buenos Aires when war broke out.
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British troops head towards Port Stanley in 1982(Image: PO(Phot ) Pete Holgate/MOD / SWNS)
