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The proposed transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has been put on hold indefinitely following the withdrawal of support from US President Donald Trump, confirmed Foreign Minister Stephen Doughty. The plan, which involved the UK ceding control of the territory while leasing back a joint military base on Diego Garcia, depended heavily on US cooperation. This agreement would have secured an annual payment averaging £101 million ($136 million) for the UK, in exchange for continued use of the military base on the largest island.
Initially, Trump had shown backing for the treaty but reversed his stance in January, calling the arrangement an “act of total weakness” and urging the UK Prime Minister to drop the initiative. Speaking in the House of Commons, Doughty expressed frustration with the White House’s change of position. He explained that because of this shift, the legislation necessary to progress the deal would not advance during the current parliamentary session. Earlier on the same day, an official spokesperson for the Prime Minister declined to commit to reintroducing the legislation in the next session, which is set to begin in mid-May.
Doughty informed MPs that updating the existing 1966 UK-US agreement, known as the Exchange of Notes, to enable joint operation of the Diego Garcia base has become unfeasible at a political level between the UK and the US. This was despite the treaty with Mauritius having been carefully negotiated with US involvement under multiple administrations, and despite Trump’s earlier characterization of the deal as “very strong and powerful.” The minister noted, “In recent weeks, the position of the United States president appears to have changed,” making it “impossible to agree at political level” on the necessary updates.
The UK and Mauritius signed the agreement last May, with a bill introduced to transfer sovereignty, but a final version has yet to be passed by both Houses of Parliament. No payments linked to the treaty have been made during the delay, as the necessary legislation is still incomplete. Doughty confirmed this to former Conservative minister Dame Harriett Baldwin, clarifying that costs cannot be covered without parliamentary approval. Meanwhile, shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel sought assurances that the government would not attempt to push the treaty through without US support. Doughty acknowledged the Conservatives initiated the process but stopped short of committing to introducing the bill anew.
Under the terms of last year’s agreement, the UK would recognize Mauritius’ sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago while securing a 99-year lease on the Diego Garcia military base. Official estimates put the total value of the deal at £3.4 billion, though critics argue the cost could rise to approximately £35 billion when adjusted for inflation and warn of strategic risks, including potential Chinese influence on the islands. The government has stated that UK officials will continue talks with both the US and Mauritius to determine the next steps
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