On Thursday, President Donald Trump indicated his support for a deal between Britain and Mauritius regarding the future of a U.S.-UK military base in the Chagos Islands. This development is seen as a boost for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Trump expressed his backing for the agreement during his first in-person meeting with Starmer at the White House. The Republican leader has recently shifted U.S. policy on various issues, including Ukraine and global trade.
In October, Britain reached an agreement to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining control of the military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Indian Ocean archipelago, under a 99-year lease. The deal, which had the support of former U.S. President Joe Biden, has faced uncertainty since Trump’s re-election. Britain had agreed to allow the Trump administration to review the deal before finalizing it.
During the Oval Office meeting, Trump told reporters that the two leaders would discuss the deal and that he was likely to accept it. “We’re going to have some discussions about that very soon, and I have a feeling it’s going to work out very well,” Trump said, noting the “very long, powerful” lease over Diego Garcia. “I think we’ll be inclined to go along with your country,” he told Starmer. “It’s a little early, we have to be given the details, but it doesn’t sound bad.”
Trump’s remarks are expected to be welcomed by Starmer, who has faced political pressure at home over the cost of the deal and the loss of British sovereignty over the islands.
The deal has faced further uncertainty in recent weeks, with Mauritius’ new prime minister questioning the agreement’s details and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio raising concerns about China’s influence in the region.
When Mauritius gained independence from Britain in the 1960s, London retained control of the Chagos Islands and forcibly displaced up to 2,000 people to make way for the Diego Garcia base.