Payments suspended as Washington withholds support
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has confirmed that payments to Mauritius of no less than £120m each year are suspended while ministers review the Chagos Islands arrangement, following Donald Trump's refusal to endorse it. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Streeting said the money would not be handed over at this point and that American backing is essential for the deal to move forward. The treaty signed last year would hand Mauritius sovereignty over the islands while Britain keeps the UK-US base at Diego Garcia on a 99-year lease, with £165m due across three years and £120m yearly thereafter.[S1]
Streeting said the outlay would be justified if it protected Britain's continued use of Diego Garcia over the long term. He added that any agreement needs to win American approval alongside the consent of both the Mauritian and UK governments, since the base serves the national and collective security interests of both nations. Trump restated his objections on Tuesday, describing the sovereignty handover as terrible during a meeting with Andy Burnham at the UN general assembly in New York, and told reporters he did not back it. The prime minister later said the government would strive for a solution acceptable to all parties.[S1]
No ostrich strategy as legal risks persist
Streeting said Trump's criticism had not surprised ministers, noting the US president had been clear about his concerns with the deal as currently constituted. He said the government would work through the detail of American concerns and seek a point all sides could sign up to. The defence secretary also rejected what he called an ostrich strategy of ignoring the dispute and hoping it would disappear, warning that settling it would involve painstaking work. He told Times Radio the approach would be to work with Trump and his administration rather than wait him out, acknowledging the difficulty but calling it necessary.[S1]
Streeting warned that setting aside Mauritius's sovereignty claim could itself endanger the base's long-term prospects. He pointed out that the 2019 international court of justice ruling is currently only advisory, yet Mauritius could still pursue further legal avenues. He argued it would be unwise to dismiss the matter, given that it touches one of the most sensitive national security assets Britain possesses anywhere in the world.[S1]
