World · 19 February 2026
Trump criticizes UK plan to hand over Chagos Islands
In a direct intervention, President Trump advised Sir Keir Starmer to abandon the agreement transferring Chagos Islands sovereignty. Posting online, Trump argued that retaining access to the Diego Garcia military facility through a lease arrangement would not be enough and called the proposal a misstep. His stance differs from the US State Department’s formal endorsement of the agreement, while the UK Foreign Office insists the pact safeguards the base’s future.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs