𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

US President Donald Trump has hinted that he will agree the Chagos Islands deal after describing it as “the best” Sir Keir Starmer “could make”.

His comments come days after the two leaders spoke about the handover deal following the US leader’s extraordinary attack on the agreement last month.

Taking to Truth Social, Mr Trump said: “I have had very productive discussions with Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the Island of Diego Garcia.

“It is the site of a major US military base, strategically situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean and, therefore, of great importance to the national security of the United States.

“I understand that the deal prime minister Starmer has made, according to many, the best he could make.

“However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers US operations and forces at our base, I retain the right to militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia.

“Let it be known that I will never allow our presence on a base as important as this to ever be undermined or threatened by fake claims or environmental nonsense.”

Under the deal, which will cost £35 billion over the next century, the UK will cede sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius but lease back the facility on the island of Diego Garcia.

Mr Trump in January lambasted the agreement as an “act of great stupidity”, an “act of total weakness” and claimed the site of the vital military base was being given away “for no reason whatsoever”.