Foreign Policy
From "no deals with communists" to the most pro-American Argentine presidency in decades.
The doctrine
Milei’s foreign policy has one clear axis: alignment with the United States and Israel, and distance from China, Russia, and the multilateral institutions he associates with the global left. Campaign line: no deals with communists — a stance softened in practice (trade with China, Argentina’s key export market, continued throughout).
The United States
The closest bilateral relationship of the presidency. Milei met Donald Trump repeatedly, appeared at CPAC, and publicly tied his project to Trump’s. Ahead of the October 2025 midterms, Trump promised an unprecedented $20bn U.S. support package — while warning Argentines he would not “be generous” if the election went badly. After the LLA victory Trump congratulated him (“He’s making us all look good”). Critics in Argentina called the linkage extortion; supporters called it a lifeline. Attributions on both sides.
Israel
Milei visited Israel in February 2024, announced Argentina would move its embassy to Jerusalem, and has described himself as a fervent supporter of Israel — including studying Judaism with a rabbi and expressing the wish to convert. The embassy move has been announced but its execution timeline is not confirmed; this site flags that as pending.
Ukraine
Milei positioned Argentina as Latin America’s most vocal supporter of Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended his inauguration (10 December 2023), and Argentina pledged humanitarian and rhetorical support. A planned Latin America–Ukraine summit in Buenos Aires was discussed but did not materialize as of 2026.
The WHO withdrawal
On 5 February 2025 spokesman Manuel Adorni announced Argentina would withdraw from the World Health Organization, citing “profound differences” over pandemic management — echoing the Trump administration’s parallel move. Opposition health officials warned of lost coordination and vaccine-pricing access; the government replied Argentina’s health system doesn’t depend on WHO funding.
The BRICS rejection
In January 2024 Milei formally declined the BRICS membership invitation extended to Argentina under the previous government — one of his first foreign-policy acts, and a clear signal of the Westward turn.
The region
Relations with left-led neighbors have been frosty (public spats with Colombia’s Petro, Brazil’s Lula, Mexico’s López Obrador — documented in press reporting), while ties with El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele (security-model admiration) and Ecuador’s right have warmed. Milei’s Mercosur posture: stay in, but demand flexibility for bilateral trade deals.
The Malvinas
The 2027 budget proposal (September 2026) includes increased defense spending tied to the sovereignty claim over the Falkland/Malvinas Islands — notable under austerity, per Reuters — after reported signals that Washington’s long neutrality on the dispute could soften under Trump. The claim itself is Argentina’s standing constitutional position, not a Milei invention.
Source notes
- Announcements: Casa Rosada statements, AP/Reuters reporting, 2023–2026.
- WHO withdrawal: AP, 5 February 2025. BRICS declination: government letter, January 2024.
- 2027 budget defense line: Reuters, 15 September 2026 (reported, attributed).