UK government seeks to safeguard Chagos Islands deal with Trump team
- Keir Starmer's national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, is preparing to visit Washington to discuss the Chagos Islands deal.
- The UK government fears that Trump may block the agreement to cede control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
- The visit serves to introduce Starmer's government to the Trump administration while advocating for the continuation of the agreement.
The UK government is making diplomatic efforts in light of President-elect Donald Trump's potential impact on foreign agreements. Jonathan Powell, Keir Starmer's national security adviser, is set to travel to Washington to engage with Trump’s administration regarding the Chagos Islands agreement. The deal, negotiated over two years, involves the cession of the islands, which host a US military base, to Mauritius, with Diego Garcia remaining under UK control for at least 99 years. This visit aims not only to address the concerns surrounding the agreement but also to introduce Starmer’s government to the incoming Trump administration. Trump's choice of Marco Rubio for Secretary of State has raised alarms, as Rubio has previously characterized the Chagos agreement as a threat to US national security interests due to its implications for relations with China. The UK government is particularly anxious about Trump's advisers' predicted resistance to the handover, and Powell is expected to advocate for the deal by emphasizing that it would secure the future operations of the Diego Garcia base. UK ministers have expressed that any uncertainty regarding the legal status of the islands could jeopardize this base, which is deemed vital for US military operations. Joe Biden’s administration had shown support for the transfer, adding to the complexity of the situation. The agreement was negotiated during Rishi Sunak’s government and drew both support and criticism from various political figures in the UK.