Falklands veteran hopes King can persuade Trump to 'back down'

Source: Yahoo! News/BBC

Sat, April 25, 2026 at 2:14 AM EDT


Falklands War veteran Simon Weston has said he hopes King Charles III can convince US President Donald Trump to "back down" over reports the US could review its position on the UK's claim to the territory. Weston told BBC Newsnight that Trump's "hissy fit" over the sovereignty of the islands "makes our sacrifice feel slightly irrelevant".

An internal Pentagon email reported by Reuters suggested the US was considering options to punish Nato allies it believed had failed to support its war on Iran. BBC News has not been able to review the email.

Downing Street has said that sovereignty of the Falkland Islands "rests with the UK" and that the islanders' right to self-determination is paramount. The report regarding the US position emerged three days before King Charles and Queen Camilla's state visit to the US.

Weston said he hoped the monarch could persuade Trump to "back down and calm down" over the islands, which have been under British rule since 1833. "He's [Trump] paying absolutely no heed to the humanity that he's abusing with his words because the people of the Falklands deserve more respect, but so do every veteran who served down there deserve more respect."

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/falklands-veteran-hopes-king-persuade-022826285.html