Talks between Britain and the US over the future of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean have reportedly been reopened after President Donald Trump’s comments cast doubt on a deal that would see Britain transfer sovereignty of the strategically vital archipelago to Mauritius.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed on Wednesday that Britain has reopened discussions after the president panned the deal and called it an “act of gross stupidity.” reported.
“Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO ally, Britain, is currently planning to give away the island of Diego Garcia, site of a vital US military base, to Mauritius, for NO REASON whatsoever,” Trump had posted on Truth Social. “There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of utter weakness.”
He added: “Britain’s giving away of extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of national security reasons why Greenland should be acquired.”
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Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago and site of a major US military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean, was leased from Britain in 1966. (Reuters)
The Chagos Islands were separated from Mauritius during Britain’s decolonization process International Court of Justice 2019 declared unlawful.
Britain later agreed to transfer sovereignty and lease back Diego Garcia for at least 99 years at a cost of at least $160 million per year.
Diego Garcia is a hub for long-range bomber capabilities, logistics and power projection in the Middle East, Indo-Pacific and Africa.
About 2,500 military and civilian personnel, mostly Americanare stationed there. The base serves as a critical point of operations for the US and plays a central role in gathering intelligence and securing military communications.
Aboard a flight to China, Starmer said he had “discussed Chagos with Donald Trump on a number of occasions” but refused to confirm whether the issue had been raised during a phone call between the two leaders on Sunday. The Financial Times reported.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he has “discussed Chagos [President] Donald Trump a number of times.” (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Starmer also said the issue was “discussed at the White House late last week, this weekend and early this week.”
Starmer also added that when the Trump administration took office, Britain suspended the agreement for three months to give the US time to review the deal at agency level.
“Once they did that, they were very clear in saying they supported the deal, and announcements were made,” he said.
A Downing Street spokesperson also confirmed that London was working to “address any concerns in Washington”. GB News.
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“We will continue to engage with the US on this important issue and the importance of the deal to safeguard US and UK interests and address any concerns, as we have done throughout the process,” the spokesperson said.
Trump’s comments on the Chagos deal were welcomed by British reform leader Nigel Farage, who wrote on X: “Thank God Trump vetoed the surrender of the Chagos Islands.”
