The Guardian
· collected 2026-09-23 · by Aletha Adu Political correspondent
Wes Streeting, UK defence secretary, stated that annual payments of at least £120 million to Mauritius for sovereignty over the Chagos Islands are on hold due to a lack of US support under President Trump's administration. Last year, the UK signed a treaty with Mauritius to transfer sovereignty while keeping control of Diego Garcia under a 99-year lease; however, this agreement faces opposition from Trump, who called it "terrible." Streeting emphasized that securing American backing is crucial for maintaining the UK-US military base at Diego Garcia and stressed the need for detailed negotiations to address US concerns.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-23,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Wes Streeting, Britain’s defence secretary, announced that annual payments worth at least £120 million to Mauritius are on hold as the government reconsiders an agreement over the Chagos Islands. This decision came after Donald Trump criticized the deal during a meeting with Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the UN General Assembly in New York. The original agreement would see the UK cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius and pay approximately £101 million annually to lease back a joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, which is strategically important due to its location in the Indian Ocean.
Streeting emphasized that the deal cannot proceed without US support, highlighting the need for cooperation with American allies to ensure the agreement safeguards the long-term future of the base at Diego Garcia. The defence secretary noted that previous efforts to adapt the deal have not succeeded, and current negotiations are focused on reaching an arrangement that both Mauritius and the US can accept.
Written for “Chagos Islands Deal” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 38 other(s) covering the same event.
Wes Streeting has said annual payments worth at least £120m to Mauritius are on hold as the government reconsiders its deal over the Chagos Islands, after Donald Trump refused to back the agreement.
asserted
Trump → say → agreement
The defence secretary said the payments would not be made “at this stage” and confirmed the deal “can’t go ahead without US support”.
asserted
deal → say → support
Last year, the UK signed a treaty to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while retaining control of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia under a 99-year lease.
asserted
UK → sign → lease
Mauritius was also set to receive £165m for three years and £120m a year from the fourth year.
asserted
Mauritius → set → year
Asked on BBC Radio 4 Today’s programme if the payments would still go ahead, Streeting said: “Not at this stage.
asserted
Streeting → ask → stage
We’ve got to get to a point where we can agree a deal …
asserted
we → get → deal
This deal as it is currently constituted can’t go ahead without American support.
asserted
it → constitute → support
So we have to get a deal to a place where it commands American support as well as the agreement of the government of Mauritius and our government.
asserted
it → have → Mauritius
“And the reason why that is important is because we are trying to safeguard, not just now but for the longer term, the base at Diego Garcia, and the capability it provides the United Kingdom and the United States for our national and collective security.”
asserted
it → try → security
Streeting said the payments would be a “price worth paying” if they secured Britain’s long-term ability to operate from Diego Garcia.
asserted
they → say → Garcia
Trump doubled down on his criticism of the agreement when he met Andy Burnham at the UN general assembly in New York on Tuesday, describing the deal to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius as “terrible”.
asserted
he → double → Mauritius
“I don’t support it,” Trump told reporters after a bilateral meeting with Burnham on the fringes of the general assembly adding: “I think it’s a terrible deal.”
asserted
it → support → assembly
After meeting Trump, the prime minister said the government would “work hard” to find a resolution that was acceptable to the different sides.
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that → meet → sides
Streeting said Trump’s criticism had not come as a surprise to ministers.
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criticism → say → ministers
“This isn’t news to us,” he said, “President Trump has been clear that he has concerns about the deal as it’s currently constituted.
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it → say → deal
We will work through the detail of the US concerns and seek to reach a point that all of us can sign up to.”
The agreement can’t proceed as it is without US support because of the importance of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, Streeting said.
asserted
Streeting → work → Garcia
The defence secretary also warned that Britain could not adopt an “ostrich strategy” of sticking its head in the sand and hoping the row over the Chagos Islands would go away, as he warned settling the dispute would involve “painstaking work”.
uncertain
settling → warn → work
“The strategy is not to wait out President Trump.
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strategy → wait → Trump
I think the approach will be to work with President Trump and his administration,” Streeting told Times Radio.
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Streeting → think → Radio
“I’m not pretending that’s an easy position and that resolving this is not going to be difficult.
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resolving → pretend → this
“And the ostrich strategy of sticking our heads in the sand … , I would caution is not a wise strategy when it concerns one of the most sensitive national security assets we have anywhere in the world,” Streeting added.
asserted
Streeting → stick → world
He also warned ignoring that Mauritius’s claim to sovereignty posed its own risk to the military base’s future.
uncertain
claim → warn → future
He said the ruling from the international court of justice in 2019 is “advisory now, [but] there is a potential further course of legal action avenue open to the government of Mauritius”.
asserted
ruling → say → Mauritius
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