US President Donald Trump on Thursday indicated that he is willing to broker a deal between Britain and Mauritius over the Chagos Islands, including the US-UK military facility on Diego Garcia. This came while hosting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House.
UK in October struck an agreement to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius but retain a 99-year leasehold on Diego Garcia, the largest island of the Indian Ocean archipelago. Although the deal had the backing of former US President Joe Biden, it remained uncertain after Trump’s re-election. The government of the UK had declared that it would grant the Trump administration some time to consider the agreement before ratifying it.
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Trump signaled at their Oval Office meeting that he would likely sign off on the deal, describing the lease terms as “very long” and “powerful.” Trump assured Starmer that they would meet soon to discuss but was hopeful of a favorable outcome.
We’re going to have some discussions about that in the near future and I think it’s going to turn out very, very well,” Trump said. “I think we’ll be able to go along with your country. A little too soon, we have to be shown the details, but it doesn’t sound bad.”.
Trump’s support should be a welcome relief for Starmer, who has faced criticism at home over the cost of the deal and what it means for British sovereignty. The agreement has also faced intense scrutiny in recent weeks, with new Mauritius prime minister questioning its terms and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio raising issues about potential Chinese influence within the region.
The Chagos Islands have been a source of controversy since Britain maintained possession of the territory during the 1960s, forcibly relocating as many as 2,000 inhabitants to create the Diego Garcia military base.
