UK halts Chagos Islands deal approval, minister says

A UK minister said a deal to cede UK sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius was put on pause. US President Donald Trump last week implored UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to scrap the deal. PoliticsUnited KingdomUK halts Chagos Islands deal approval, minister saysRoshni Majumdar with Reuters02/25/2026February 25, 2026A UK minister said a deal to cede UK sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius was put on pause. US President Donald Trump last week implored UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to scrap the deal.https://p.dw.com/p/59Oo5The Chagos archipelago is best known for its main island of Diego Garcia, which houses a US military base (Photo: 2023)Image: Elliot Schaudt/U.S. Navy via AP/picture allianceAdvertisementUK lawmakers have halted the ratification process of the deal to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, a British Foreign Office minister said on Wednesday. "We have a process going through parliament ​in ⁠relation to the treaty. We will bring that back ⁠to parliament ​at the appropriate time. We are pausing for discussions with our American counterparts," Hamish Falconer told lawmakers. The UK and US struck an agreement last year, after overcoming many legal hurdles. But US President Donald Trump recently urged the UK to scrap the deal. On Truth Social, Trump implored Keir Starmer to scrap the deal last week, writing: "DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!" Trump was referring to the largest island, Diego Garcia, in the chain of islands that make up Chagos. Diego Garcia is home to a vital US military base. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Edited by: Sean Sinico Roshni Majumdar Roshni is an editor and writer at DW's online breaking news desk.@RoshniMajSend us your feedbackYour feedback