Donald Trump has branded Britain’s Chagos Islands agreement a “terrible deal” after directly confronting Prime Minister Andy Burnham over the dispute during their first face-to-face meeting.
The US President repeated his opposition following talks with Mr Burnham in New York, arguing that the Chagos Archipelago was strategically important and questioning Mauritius’s claim to sovereignty.
“I don’t support it. It was a terrible deal,” Mr Trump said. He went on to describe the proposed transfer as “ridiculous”.
The intervention confirms that the disagreement remains unresolved despite the two leaders establishing what Mr Burnham described as a “good connection” during their first in-person discussions.
Dispute tested directly between leaders
The meeting took place alongside the United Nations General Assembly and represented Mr Burnham’s most significant direct engagement with the US President since entering Downing Street.
The pair also discussed Ukraine, the Falkland Islands and trade. Mr Trump described the Prime Minister as a “natural business person”, while Mr Burnham emphasised the importance of continuing to strengthen the UK-US relationship.
However, their public warmth did not disguise the continuing division over the Chagos agreement. Mr Trump stressed the strategic importance of Diego Garcia and referred to the additional flying time faced by American B-2 bombers operating from the United States rather than the Indian Ocean base.
Diego Garcia hosts a major joint UK-US military facility used for operations across the Middle East, Africa and the Indo-Pacific. Maintaining its secure operation is the central issue in the continuing negotiations.
What the Chagos agreement would do
Britain signed a treaty with Mauritius in May 2025 under which Mauritius would exercise sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago.
At the same time, the United Kingdom would lease back Diego Garcia for an initial 99-year period and retain the rights and authority required to operate the military base with the United States.
The House of Commons Library estimates that Britain would pay Mauritius approximately £3.4 billion over the 99-year term in 2025/26 prices. The Government has argued that the arrangement would resolve the long-running sovereignty dispute while placing the base on a secure legal footing.
Opponents contend that transferring sovereignty would weaken Western security, create unnecessary strategic risk and require substantial long-term payments to Mauritius.
Implementation remains unresolved
The treaty has been signed, but its domestic implementation has not been completed. Legislation considered during the previous parliamentary session could make no further progress after Parliament was prorogued in April 2026.
A new Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill was subsequently introduced, but the Government’s legislative plans have been disrupted by renewed American opposition.
Reuters reported that the implementing legislation had been paused because of objections from Washington. Sovereignty has therefore not been transferred under the proposed new arrangements.
Mr Trump’s comments are particularly significant because the disagreement has now been discussed directly with the new Prime Minister and the US President has maintained his opposition.
Burnham promises to seek a solution
Mr Burnham spoke to Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam before meeting Mr Trump. According to Downing Street, he underlined his commitment to working with both Mauritius and the United States on a way forward that secures the operation of the Diego Garcia base and protects British national security.
The Prime Minister has pledged to find a solution but has not announced that the treaty will be abandoned. Any revised arrangement would need to satisfy Mauritius, preserve the strategic military partnership with Washington and command sufficient support in Parliament.
The original treaty cannot simply be implemented as planned while the Government’s most important defence partner remains firmly opposed. Equally, withdrawing from or rewriting an international agreement already signed with Mauritius would create further legal and diplomatic complications.
Mr Burnham now faces the task of finding a compromise acceptable to all three governments. Following Mr Trump’s intervention in New York, there is still no confirmed timetable for the legislation or for the proposed sovereignty transfer to take effect.
Sources
- Reuters: Burnham and Trump hold their first face-to-face meeting
- Downing Street: Burnham’s call with the Prime Minister of Mauritius
- UK Parliament: Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
- House of Commons Library: Chagos treaty and Diego Garcia bill
- Downing Street: Prime Minister’s UN General Assembly visit