President Trump Approves Chagos Deal, UK Confirms

Opponents of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to cede the strategically significant archipelago—along with £9 billion—had placed high hopes on a potential veto from the U.S. president. During his meeting with Trump at the White House last month, Sir Keir surprised conservatives and other critics by stating, “We will soon have discussions on this, and I have a feeling it will go very well.”

This afternoon, the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said the president “recognizes the strength of the agreement.” He added, “To my knowledge, it is now a matter of finalizing the deal between us and the Mauritian government, following discussions with the United States.”