A senior Pentagon official indicated the United States might reconsider its long-standing position on the Falkland Islands to pressure Britain into meeting NATO defense spending targets, the Daily Telegraph reported.
The official told the newspaper the United States is "not ruling out" any options to encourage what it views as insufficient burden-sharing among allies. The statement came in response to a question about whether the U.S. might shift its stance on the islands, claimed by both the United Kingdom and Argentina.
The remarks follow the leak in April of an internal Pentagon email suggesting the United States might reconsider its diplomatic support for the British position on the islands as part of broader pressure on allies to increase defense contributions.
The UK government defended its NATO contributions and reaffirmed its position on the Falklands. "The UK position on the Falkland Islands is long-standing and unwavering: they are and will remain a British Overseas Territory in line with the wishes of the Falkland islanders," a spokesperson said.
The UK noted it is NATO's third-largest defense spender and the only European NATO member to commit its nuclear deterrent to the alliance.
The British government has emphasized the islanders' right to self-determination. In a 2013 referendum, residents voted 1,513 to 3 to remain a British Overseas Territory. The UK has administered the islands since 1833.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio downplayed earlier reports of a policy review. A spokesperson said, "The Falkland Islands have previously voted overwhelmingly in favour of remaining a UK overseas territory, and we've always stood behind the islanders' right to self-determination and the fact that sovereignty rests with the UK."
