Ex-Pentagon official urges US to ‘squeeze’ UK on defense amid Falklands furor
U.S. says it will not use Falklands as a bargaining chip with Britain
A former Pentagon press secretary has denied reports that Washington could leverage the Falkland Islands to push the United Kingdom to meet its NATO defense‑spending targets. The comments came after a news item suggested that the United States might use the island dispute as a diplomatic tool to pressure London to increase its military budget.
Morgan Murphy, who served as a press secretary in the War Department during the Bush administration, told Fox News Digital that the United States has not altered its long‑standing position on Falkland sovereignty. He said the U.S. remains neutral on the question and continues to recognize British administration of the islands. “We can’t withdraw support for sovereignty of the Falklands that was never there,” Murphy said, adding that policy experts understand the difference between rumors in a British paper and an official White House statement.
Murphy said he has no evidence that a Pentagon email, allegedly circulating in April, indicated a change in U.S. policy. “I have not seen that email. The Pentagon did not confirm it,” he said. The U.S. has reiterated that it sees the Falklands dispute as a separate issue from NATO obligations.
The U.S. stance on defense spending
While denying any shift on Falkland sovereignty, Murphy acknowledged that the Trump administration is applying “heavy diplomatic leverage” over London’s military budget. “You don’t take the security and skip the bill. That is free‑riding,” he said. “Friends tell friends the check is due. Squeeze is accountability.”
He cited the United Kingdom’s pledge at the 2025 Hague Summit that NATO allies will spend 5 % of gross domestic product on defense by 2035, with at least 3.5 % on core defense requirements. The United Kingdom, however, has historically lagged behind this target. According to UK officials, defence spending is projected to reach 2.7 % of GDP by 2030 and is expected to set a new timetable to hit 3 % by 2035.
Murphy noted that UK Chancellor John Healey is expected to announce in October that the government will drop its target of spending 3 % of GDP on defence by 2030. “Last year in The Hague they signed up for 5 % by 2035, which won headlines, but Britain still will not lock 3 % by 2030,” he said. “I’ve watched this town treat a treaty like a suggestion.”
The U.S. is pushing European allies and Canada to take on more responsibility for NATO’s conventional defense, while it retains a supporting role that includes the nuclear deterrent, according to the Associated Press. Murphy said the United States would maintain other diplomatic options without altering the status quo in the Falklands. “This is the habit: put a number in a communiqué, then treat it as optional,” he explained.
Falklands referendum and islanders’ preference
Murphy also referenced the 2013 referendum in which 99.8 % of Falkland Islanders voted to remain a British overseas territory. “I no longer work at the White House and can’t speak in any way for the administration, but I can say that the islanders voted 99.8 % to stay British in 2013,” he said.
U.S. review of troop deployments in Europe
The story came amid a six‑month Pentagon review of U.S. troop deployments in Europe, led by Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby. Reuters reported that the review is part of a broader strategy to shift greater responsibility for continental defense to NATO allies. The U.S. is expected to continue providing support, including its nuclear deterrent, while encouraging allies to increase their own contributions.
UK response
A spokesperson for the UK government said that Britain’s support for the Falklands is unwavering. “We are NATO’s third‑largest cash spender on defence and the only European NATO member to commit our nuclear deterrent to the alliance,” the spokesperson told Sky News. The statement reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to the islands and its defense obligations.
Follow‑up
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pentagon and 10 Downing Street for comment. The United States has yet to issue a formal response to the claims that it may use the Falkland Islands as leverage in its negotiations with London.
In the meantime, the U.S. and UK are expected to continue their diplomatic engagement on both the Falklands issue and NATO defense‑spending commitments as the UK prepares to announce its next budget in October.