WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Thursday (Feb 5) dropped his opposition to an settlement by which Britain returned to Mauritius an Indian Ocean archipelago that hosts a key US-UK navy base.
However after talking with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump warned in a put up on Reality Social that he retains the precise to “safe and reinforce” the US presence on Diego Garcia island, which is house to the bottom, if the British deal comes undone or the American presence is threatened.
Beneath a deal agreed in Might of final yr, Britain will hand again the Chagos islands, which embody Diego Garcia, to Mauritius however maintain the bottom, collectively run by US and British forces, on a 99-year lease.
Trump initially endorsed this accord however then last month changed his mind.
“The UK making a gift of extraordinarily vital land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is one other in a really lengthy line of Nationwide Safety the explanation why Greenland must be acquired,” Trump stated on Jan 20.
On Thursday, Trump stated Starmer made “the perfect deal he might make” on the Chagos Islands, which had been on the centre of a decades-long diplomatic battle.
Trump stated: “Nonetheless, if the lease deal, someday sooner or later, ever falls aside, or anybody threatens or endangers US operations and forces at our Base, I retain the precise to Militarily safe and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia.”
Of their dialog Thursday Starmer and Trump agreed to work “intently” on the implementation of the Chagos Islands settlement, the UK chief’s workplace stated.
