President Trump Rejects Diego Garcia Deal, Halting UK-Mauritius Agreement at UN General Assembly
Following a televised discussion between President Trump and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the UN General Assembly in New York, the United Kingdom's negotiated deal to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, including the strategic island of Diego Garcia, has been shelved. President Trump publicly denounced the deal as 'terrible,' 'ridiculous,' and 'an act of GREAT STUPIDITY.' His opinion is critical because U.S. assent is legally required under a 1965 UK-U.S. agreement to alter the status of Diego Garcia, which hosts a vital U.S. Naval Support Facility. The proposed deal involved the UK paying an annual rent to Mauritius for a leaseback of Diego Garcia, despite the island historically being British territory. The deal had faced criticism for its financial implications for the UK's defense budget, the lack of enforceable guarantees regarding the future use of the Chagos Archipelago, and its failure to address the rights of the Chagos islanders.
