Trump Criticizes UK's Chagos Islands Deal in Meeting With Prime Minister

U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized the United Kingdom's agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius during his first meeting with Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The encounter, which took place in New York, saw Trump describe the deal as "terrible" and question Mauritius's claim to ownership.

Burnham, who inherited the situation and is seeking a resolution, acknowledged the strategic importance of the islands, particularly the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. He stated that safeguarding the base's future is critical for security reasons, a concern shared by the United States.

"It's critical to safeguard the future of the base, and that matters to us for security reasons, but also clearly to the United States as well," Burnham told reporters. He added that he would "work towards a resolution" with President Trump, whose agreement is considered necessary.

Trump emphasized the islands' strategic value, noting their importance for military operations. "Strategically very important. Very important," Trump said. "I think the Prime Minister is going to be looking at it."

The Chagos Islands deal, brokered under the previous Labour government, involves Britain handing sovereignty to Mauritius and then leasing back the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. The reported cost of this arrangement is approximately £35 billion.

Burnham's meeting with Trump also touched on other international issues, including the conflict in the Middle East and Iran's nuclear ambitions. Burnham described the meeting as "very encouraging," highlighting common ground on issues such as the cost of living.

However, the Prime Minister also opened the door to potentially fighting a future election on a pledge to rejoin the European Union, a stance that has drawn criticism. He suggested that the 2016 referendum result may have been influenced by "outside forces."

Political figures from the Conservative and Reform UK parties criticized Burnham's position on the Chagos Islands deal and potential EU re-engagement. Tory MP Alex Burghart stated that Burnham was continuing policies he deemed damaging, while Reform UK's Nigel Farage suggested Burnham lacked fresh ideas and was not prioritizing British interests.

Despite the differing views on the Chagos Islands, Trump suggested that the U.S.-UK "Special Relationship" was improving under Burnham's leadership, contrasting it with his relationship with the previous Prime Minister.

Burnham also reaffirmed the UK's commitment to the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands amidst escalating tensions with Argentina.