Chagos Islands sovereignty talks restart following Trump criticism of deal

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Talks between the U.Okay. and the U.S. over the way forward for the Chagos Islands within the Indian Ocean have reportedly reopened after President Donald Trump ’s feedback solid doubt over an settlement that may see Britain hand sovereignty of the strategically very important archipelago to Mauritius.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed Wednesday that the U.Okay. had reopened discussions after the president had panned the deal and branded it an "act of nice stupidity," GB Information reported .

"Shockingly, our ‘sensible’ NATO Ally, the UK, is at present planning to provide away the Island of Diego Garcia, the positioning of a significant U.S. Navy Base, to Mauritius, and to take action FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER," Trump had posted on Fact Social. "There isn't any doubt that China and Russia have seen this act of complete weak spot."

He added: "The UK giving freely extraordinarily vital land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is one other in a really lengthy line of National Security reasons why Greenland must be acquired."

TRUMP WARNS US CAN NO LONGER THINK ‘PURELY OF PEACE’ AS HE PUSHES FOR GREENLAND CONTROL

Diego Garcia, the biggest island within the Chagos archipelago and web site of a significant United States army base in the midst of the Indian Ocean, was leased from the UK in 1966. (Reuters)

The Chagos Islands have been separated from Mauritius throughout Britain’s decolonization course of, a transfer the International Court of Justice dominated illegal in 2019.

The U.Okay. later agreed to switch sovereignty whereas leasing Diego Garcia again for at the least 99 years at a price of at the least $160 million yearly.

Diego Garcia is a hub for long-range bombers, logistics and energy projection throughout the Center East, the Indo-Pacific and Africa.

Round 2,500 army and civilian personnel, mostly American , are stationed there. The bottom serves as a vital operation level for the U.S. and performs a central position in intelligence gathering and securing army communications.

Talking aboard a flight to China, Starmer mentioned he had "mentioned Chagos with Donald Trump quite a few occasions," however declined to substantiate whether or not the problem had been raised throughout a telephone name between the 2 leaders on Sunday, The Financial Times reported.

TRUMP’S ‘SMALL ASK’ FOR GREENLAND WOULD BE THE REAL ESTATE DEAL OF A LIFETIME

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he "mentioned Chagos with [President] Donald Trump quite a few occasions." (Leon Neal/Getty Photographs)

Starmer additionally mentioned the matter "has been raised with the White House on the tail finish of final week, over the weekend and into the early a part of this week."

Starmer additionally added that when the Trump administration took workplace, the U.Okay. paused the agreement for 3 months to permit the U.S. time to evaluate the deal on the company degree.

"As soon as they’d carried out that, they have been very clear within the pronouncements about the truth that they supported the deal, and there have been bulletins made," he mentioned.

A Downing Road spokesperson additionally confirmed London was working to "allay any considerations" in Washington, based on GB News .

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"We are going to proceed to have interaction with the U.S. on this vital matter and the significance of the deal to safe U.S. and U.Okay. pursuits and allay any considerations, as we’ve carried out all through the method," the spokesperson mentioned.

Trump’s feedback on the Chagos deal had been welcomed by Reform UK chief Nigel Farage, who wrote on X: "Thank goodness Trump has vetoed the give up of the Chagos islands."

Fox Information Digital has reached out to the White Home and Downing Road for remark.

Emma Bussey is a breaking information author for Fox Information Digital. Earlier than becoming a member of Fox, she labored at The Telegraph with the U.S. in a single day group, throughout desks together with international, politics, information, sport and tradition.