UK to review Chagos deal after Trump criticism
Officials are reviewing the agreement after President Donald Trump withdrew support, leaving the 99-year Diego Garcia lease and £3.4 billion plan in doubt.
- On Wednesday, the UK government launched a review of its agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, with Defence Secretary Wes Streeting confirming no payments will be made "at this stage" while officials reassess the deal.
- The review follows President Donald Trump's public criticism during his Tuesday meeting with Prime Minister Andy Burnham; Trump previously branded the deal a "terrible" "act of total weakness" and "a blight on our great ally."
- Under the 99-year agreement signed in 2025, Britain would cede sovereignty while paying an average of $136m annually to lease the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, a site officials describe as critical for collective security.
- Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called on Burnham to "just scrap this terrible deal," while Labour MP Dan Carden described the original agreement as "disastrous" in response to the review.
- Streeting emphasized that the government must work with the United States to reach a resolution, stating the focus is to secure "long-term certainty for the base on Diego Garcia," the archipelago's largest island.
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38 Articles
Confronted with the firm opposition of US President Donald Trump, the United Kingdom says it is ready to review last year's agreement on the retreat of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. The Archipelago hosts a strategic American-British military base.
UK to review Chagos Islands deal after Trump again calls agreement ‘terrible’
The United Kingdom is set to review its agreement with Mauritius regarding the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos Islands after US President Donald Trump again criticised the deal, putting fresh pressure on the UK government
British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said Wednesday that London would review an agreement with Mauritius to return the remote Chagos Islands, home to a US and UK military base.
UK to review Chagos deal after Trump tells Burnham it is 'terrible'
Britain has suspended its €139 million-a-year lease payments for the Diego Garcia base while ministers try to reshape the agreement into one Washington can accept, with the Conservatives calling for it to be scrapped altogether.
Agreement with Mauritius must be revised to secure US backing and long-term future of Diego Garcia base, says British defense secretary
The Chagos deal was always wrong. The pause is a lifeline Andy Burnham can't afford to waste - Arlene Foster
Sometimes governments are given an unexpected opportunity to reconsider a bad decision. Our Government has just been handed one over the Chagos Islands. It should take it.The proposed agreement to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius is now effectively on hold. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has confirmed that Britain cannot proceed without American support, while the payments promised to Mauritius will not begin unless…
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