The British government announced on Saturday that London will abandon its plan to hand over the Chagos Islands, which host the US-British military base Diego Garcia, after strong opposition to the move from US President Donald Trump. A government spokesperson stated in a statement, «We have always said that we will not proceed with the agreement unless it has the support of the United States». At the same time, reports indicated that the legislation concerning the return of the archipelago, located in the Indian Ocean, to Mauritius was at risk of not being passed due to the limited time available in Parliament. Trump had condemned what he called London's «folly» regarding the agreement in January. The agreement, signed last May, stipulated that Britain would hand over the archipelago, located about 2,000 kilometers northeast of Mauritius, to its former colony and lease the largest island, Diego Garcia, home to the base, for a century. The spokesperson added that «Diego Garcia is a strategically important military site for both the UK and the US». They continued that London is «in communication with the US and Mauritius» on this matter. Although Trump supported the agreement when it was signed, he soon attacked it. He said, «The UK is now planning to abandon Diego Garcia island... for no reason at all». He added, «There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this move, which reflects complete weakness», considering it justifies the US's quest to seize Greenland from Denmark. Diego Garcia is one of two bases that Britain has allowed the US to use in the Middle East wars. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had previously emphasized that previous international judicial rulings had cast doubt on Britain's sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, and the base's continuity could only be guaranteed if an agreement was reached with Mauritius. BBC reported, citing government officials, that the agreement had not been completely abandoned. However, they noted that it would not be possible to pass the related legislation before Parliament is dissolved in the coming weeks. Britain had retained control of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s. In 2019, the International Court of Justice advised Britain to return the archipelago to Mauritius. The agreement would have allowed Britain to lease the base for 99 years with an option to extend. The British government did not specify the cost of the lease but did not deny that the amount would be £90 million ($111 million) per year. «Ensuring its long-term operational security is a priority for us and will remain so, and this is the main reason for this agreement».
