All posts tagged: Chagos

Trump attacks UK over Chagos deal

Trump attacks UK over Chagos deal

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hold a press conference following their meeting at Chequers, near Aylesbury, Britain, Sept. 18, 2025. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump has once again criticized the U.K.’s plan to hand the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius, telling the country not to “give away” the territory where a strategic U.S.-U.K. military base is located. “DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!” Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform on Wednesday, saying he’d been telling British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that he should “not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia.” The U.K. agreed in May 2025 to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which has long-disputed the U.K.’s acquisition and ownership of the archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The deal would see the U.K. lease back the military base it shares with the U.S. on the largest island on the archipelago, Diego Garcia, for £101 million ($135.7 million) a year, for an initial 99-year period. The U.S. previously voiced support for …

Trump blasts Starmer’s Chagos deal — hours after US backed it – POLITICO

Trump blasts Starmer’s Chagos deal — hours after US backed it – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Under the arrangement, struck last year after months of negotiations, the joint U.S.-U.K. base will remain under the control of both countries for the next 99 years under a lease agreement. But Trump posted Wednesday: “I have been telling Prime Minister Keir Starmer, of the United Kingdom, that Leases are no good when it comes to Countries, and that he is making a big mistake by entering a 100 Year Lease with whoever it is that is ‘claiming’ Right, Title, and Interest to Diego Garcia, strategically located in the Indian Ocean.” The Mauritian government — which has long claimed it was forced to give up the Chagos Islands to make way for the base in the 1960s — will receive payments from the U.K. for the new set-up, and gains ultimate sovereignty over the former British imperial possession. While Trump on Wednesday nodded to a “strong and powerful” relationship with the U.K., he warned Starmer “is losing control of this important Island by claims of entities never known of before.” “In our opinion, they are fictitious …

Donald Trump tells Keir Starmer ‘do not give away Diego Garcia’ in fresh attack on Chagos Islands deal | Politics News

Donald Trump tells Keir Starmer ‘do not give away Diego Garcia’ in fresh attack on Chagos Islands deal | Politics News

Published by Sam Flores

Donald Trump has launched a fresh broadside on the UK’s Chagos Islands deal with Mauritius, saying Sir Keir Starmer is “making a big mistake”. In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president warned against the potential loss of a US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, which the UK is retaining through a 99-year lease of the island. “Our relationship with the United Kingdom is a strong and powerful one, and it has been for many years, but prime minister Starmer is losing control of this important Island by claims of entities never known of before,” said Mr Trump. Mr Trump said Sir Keir “should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100 Year Lease”. He added: “This land should not be taken away from the U.K. and, if it is allowed to be, it will be a blight on our Great Ally. We will always be ready, willing, and able to fight for the U.K., but they have to remain strong in the face …

Trump grudgingly supports Starmer’s Chagos deal | Politics News

Trump grudgingly supports Starmer’s Chagos deal | Politics News

Published by Sam Flores

It was hardly a ringing endorsement of the deal. But it could have been a lot worse. And after the week Sir Keir Starmer has just been through, Donald Trump’s grudging support for the controversial Chagos deal will have come as a relief. The good news for the PM was the president signalling he won’t now block the deal the Conservatives and Reform UK have claimed is a surrender. The bad news is that the president has warned that if anything goes wrong in future, the US won’t hesitate to send in the gunships and take over the islands. Image: Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago and site of a joint UK-US military base. Pic: PA So it’s a rare piece of moderately good news for the PM amid a relentless onslaught from opponents and Labour MPs over his bungling of the Mandelson-Epstein scandal. The Chagos deal the prime minister had made, the president said on his Truth Social, was “according to many, the best he could make”. According to many? Who …

Trump now backs UK Chagos deal despite ‘GREAT STUPIDITY’ critique – POLITICO

Trump now backs UK Chagos deal despite ‘GREAT STUPIDITY’ critique – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“If the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers U.S. operations and forces at our Base, I retain the right to Militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia,” the president added.  To the ire of British officials, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and the Conservatives’ Kemi Badenoch had lobbied Trump to oppose the deal, which will cost Britain around £3.4 billion over the initial 99-year lease.  But official diplomatic channels have won the debate, and Starmer will take Trump’s backing as a modicum of sweet relief during a dire moment in which his authority is being questioned. Government officials, speaking under condition of anonymity to avoid further fraying diplomatic relations, had ascribed Trump’s Jan. 20 criticism of the Chagos deal to Starmer’s public defense of Greenland from American threats to seize the Danish territory. Starmer broached the agreement with Trump in a call over the weekend, as well as during another on Thursday.  Downing Street’s account of the call said the leaders had “agreed on …

Donald Trump Rows Back Criticism On Keir Starmer’s Chagos Deal

Donald Trump Rows Back Criticism On Keir Starmer’s Chagos Deal

Published by Sam Flores

Donald Trump has now backed Keir Starmer’s Chagos deal once again just weeks after attacking it. The UK government announced last year that it was going to pay Mauritius £9 billion over the next 99 years so the UK-US military base at Diego Garcia will continue to operate as it does at the moment. At the height of his row with Europe over control of Greenland last month, the US president accused the UK of giving away the site of “vital US military base” for “NO REASON WHATSOEVER” – despite appearing to be content with the deal at the end of 2025. But, after a phone call with the prime minister on Thursday, Trump U-turned again, and now seems much more at ease with the plan. In a post on TruthSocial, he wrote: “I understand that the deal prime minister Starmer has made, according to many, the best he could make. “However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart of anyone threatens or endangers US operations and forces at our base, …

Trump ‘reaches agreement’ with Starmer over Chagos | UK | News

Trump ‘reaches agreement’ with Starmer over Chagos | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

A phone call between Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump today has paved the way for collaborative efforts to resolve the Chagos Islands military base standoff. Today’s discussion marks the first known contact between the leaders since tensions erupted over Britain’s proposal to transfer the Indian Ocean territory to Mauritius. Trump’s approval was apparently in place last year for the transfer plan, but he later took to Truth Social branding it “an act of great stupidity.” The President called it an “act of total weakness,” arguing the strategically important facility was being handed away “for no reason whatsoever.” Starmer fired back, claiming Trump’s remarks served the “express purpose of putting pressure” on Britain to stop blocking his Greenland ambitions. First conversation breaks silence Complete radio silence had descended between the two men until today’s call aimed at finding common ground. Downing Street’s statement read: “The leaders agreed their governments would continue working closely to guarantee the future operation of the base.” The blueprint involves Mauritius receiving sovereignty while Britain retains Diego Garcia Facility through a …

Trump fears China spy explosion after Keir Starmer’s Chagos ‘surrender | World | News

Trump fears China spy explosion after Keir Starmer’s Chagos ‘surrender | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

Donald Trump has change his mind on the deal, calling it an ‘act of great stupidity’ (Image: Getty) The Trump administration is said to be concerned Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to give away sovereignty of the Chagos Islands could expose the US to Chinese spy boats. Donald Trump last week sensationally hit out at the proposal,calling it an “act of great stupidity”, despite previous support from the White House.  The UK has agreed to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, an ally of China. Under the controversial £3.4billion deal, the UK would lease back the island of Diego Garcia which is home to a strategically important UK-US military base. However, senior members of the Trump administration are said to be worried at the prospect of handing control over waters around Diego Garcia. READ MORE: Donald Trump plots massive blow to Keir Starmer over Chagos deal READ MORE: Starmer doubles down on Chagos Island ‘surrender’ after Trump rages over deal US bomber warplanes at Diego Garcia (Image: Getty) Officials are concerned this could …

Starmer nightmare as Trump has power to veto his Chagos deal | Politics | News

Starmer nightmare as Trump has power to veto his Chagos deal | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

It has now become the latest setback in a long line of challenges facing the controversial giveaway of British territory to a foreign government. Last week Mr Trump described the plans as “an act of great stupidity”, in a major blow to Sir Keir. Now it has been revealed that figures inside the White House are urging Mr Trump to stop the deal dead in its tracks. Officials are said to be calling on the President to refuse to amend the 1966 treaty, which asserts that Britain holds sovereignty over the islands, and must ensure they all remain available to both sides – the UK and the US – for the purposes of defence. A source told the Telegraph that the White House was unlikely to “accept Mauritius sovereignty” as backlash against the deal rises. Currently the deal would see the UK hand over the archipelago to Mauritius whilst paying a sum thought to be in the billions to ‘lease back’ the Diego Garcia military base. Kemi Badenoch told the Telegraph that her party had …