Chagos deal paused over Trump opposition, minister confirms

Chagos Deal Paused Over Trump Opposition, Minister Confirms

The UK’s agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has been indefinitely delayed due to Donald Trump’s withdrawal of support, according to Stephen Doughty, the foreign minister. The proposed treaty would have seen Britain cede control of the territory to Mauritius while maintaining a 99-year lease on the Diego Garcia military base, with annual payments estimated at £101 million ($136 million). However, Trump’s recent stance has disrupted the legislative process, as he criticized the deal as an “act of total weakness” in January before reversing his backing.

Legislative Progress Stalled

Doughty’s statement, made in response to an Urgent Question from the Conservative Party, followed the BBC’s report that Sir Keir Starmer had temporarily halted the deal. During a Commons session, the minister attributed the delay to the U.S. president’s shifting position, expressing frustration that political negotiations for an updated agreement had stalled. “It has become impossible to agree at political level an update to the 1966 UK-US treaty,” he stated, noting that the original terms had been “negotiated in close co-ordination with the United States” under multiple administrations.

“In recent weeks, the position of the United States president appears to have changed,” Doughty said. “This means that, in practical terms, it has become impossible to agree at political level an update to the 1966 UK-US agreement concerning the Availability for Defence Purposes of the British Indian Ocean Territory, known as the Exchange of Notes.”

Despite the treaty being previously described as “very strong and powerful” by Trump, the minister emphasized that the delay was unavoidable. He confirmed that no payments would be made during this pause, as the deal remains unratified. “The costs associated with this treaty cannot be paid without the relevant legislation being passed,” Doughty told Conservative former minister Dame Harriett Baldwin.

Political Questions and Future Steps

Conservative shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel pressed Doughty to clarify whether the government would pursue new legislation without Trump’s support. “Will he rule out any new legislation coming forward next session, even if it isn’t in the King’s Speech, so that the surrender treaty cannot become operable?” she asked. Doughty responded that the Conservatives had “started this process” but left the possibility of a fresh Bill unclear.

The prime minister’s spokesperson later stated that no definitive plans had been announced for reintroducing the Bill, as decisions would follow the King’s Speech in May. While five other Bills have been carried over to the next session, the Chagos Bill is not among them. UK officials will now “discuss next steps with the US and the Mauritians,” the spokesperson added.

The deal, signed last year, involves handing sovereignty over the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius while retaining the Diego Garcia base. Official figures estimate the total cost at £3.4 billion, but critics argue the real expense could reach £35 billion when adjusted for inflation. Opponents also warn that the agreement might allow China to gain strategic influence in the region.