US President Donald Trump has indicated he is ready to accept a UK proposal for an agreement over the Chagos Islands, saying it appeared to be “a good deal”.
Trump’s comments came as he greeted his British counterpart Sir Keir Starmer at the White House on Thursday, ahead of bilateral talks between the two leaders over the future of Ukraine.
Britain is seeking US approval for the terms of the deal that would hand sovereignty of the UK overseas territory in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, in exchange for securing the medium-term future of a crucial UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the archipelago.
“I have to see the details but it doesn’t seem bad,” Trump said. “I think we will be inclined to go along with your country.”
Starmer will urge Trump to provide US military cover to secure peace in Ukraine and to make it clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin that any future aggression from Moscow would be repelled.
The UK prime minister will use the talks — which include one-on-one discussions and a lunch — to reassure Trump that Europe will “step up” and bolster its own defences, including providing troops on the ground to help secure any peace in Ukraine.
In return he wants Trump to provide a US “backstop” to support a European stabilisation force in Ukraine, including air cover, heavy lift aircraft, aerial intelligence and missiles. Starmer said that without such cover, Vladimir Putin would “come again” for Ukraine.
The prime minister announced an increase in UK military spending from 2.3 per cent of GDP to 2.5 per cent in 2027 — an uplift of £6bn — ahead of the White House meeting, as a signal to Trump of his intent to lead a European rearmament programme.
