Donald Trump has watered down his criticism of the UK’s plan Chagos Islands Back in Mauritius, Keir says Starmer is the “best” deal he could do.
The US president last month described the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean territory, which includes the Diego Garcia military base, as an “act of great folly”. He also stated that the treaty was one of several “national security reasons” why the US annexation of Greenland.
Under the treaty, Britain would cede control of the islands Mauritius But the largest one was leased to Diego Garcia for 99 years to continue operating a US-UK military base there.
Trump approved the extradition When Stormer visited the White House last year.
But posting on Truth Social last month, Trump wrote: “China and Russia have no doubt noticed this whole weak move.
“It would be an act of great folly for the UK to give away so much important land, and another of the national security reasons why Greenland should be annexed.”
But after a “very productive” phone call with Starmer on Tuesday, Trump appeared to back down to a position of getting approval for the deal.
US President Diego Garcia wrote in Truth Social that it is “strategically in the middle of the Indian Ocean and therefore of great importance to the national security of the United States”.
“US military operations have been successful over the past year because of the strength of our warfighters, the modern capability of our equipment and especially the strategic location of our military bases,” he added.
“I understand that Prime Minister Stormer’s deal was, in many people’s opinion, the best he could do.”
But Trump added: “If at any time in the future the lease agreement breaks down, or if someone threatens or endangers US operations and forces at our base, I reserve the right to militarily secure and strengthen the US presence in Diego Garcia.”
“Let it be known that I will never allow our existence on such an important base to be undermined or threatened by spurious claims or environmental nonsense.”
After Starmer and Trump’s phone call, a Downing Street spokesman said they “agreed on the importance of an agreement to secure the joint UK-US base at Diego Garcia, which is vital to shared security interests”.
The pair agreed that “the UK and the US will continue to work closely on the implementation of the agreement,” the spokesman said.
The Conservative Party and Reform UK have been highly critical of the Chagos Islands Treaty. Reacting to Trump’s announcement, Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said: “The President’s announcement today identifies a critical weakness in the surrender agreement – the lease could be torn apart, putting our national security and the security of our allies in even greater doubt. The deal is clearly a threat to our national security and a colossal strategic mistake.”
“The Conservative Party’s view will not change. We have led the fight against this appalling capitulation and we will continue to fight it to the end.”
Trump’s retreat comes after he softened his plan to take control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark.
After talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte last month during the World Economic Forum, Trump announced a “framework for a future agreement” on Greenland after weeks of mounting threats.
