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President Donald Trump on Thursday provided a critical update on the United Kingdom’s decision to essentially give the island of Diego Garcia – the site of a critical U.S.-U.K. joint military base in the Indian Ocean – to the small country of Mauritius, east of Madagascar.
“I have had very productive discussions with Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the Island of Diego Garcia,” the president said on Truth Social. “It is the site of a major U.S. Military Base, strategically situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean and, therefore, of great importance to the National Security of the United States.”
As reported by RSBN, Diego Garcia has long been the site of a secretive military base shared with the UK. The concern with its potential secession to Mauritius centers on the threat of an incursion from Russian or Chinese forces in the absence of a U.S. military presence.
“I understand that the deal Prime Minister Starmer has made, according to many, the best he could make,” President Trump continued. “However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers U.S. operations and forces at our Base, I retain the right to Militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia.”
Some may wonder if the joint military base on Diego Garcia will remain operational amid Prime Minister Starmer’s decision to transfer sovereignty of the island back to Mauritius. According to HuffPost, part of the UK’s deal with the little-known country is to lease the property from Mauritius and continue to keep the base up and running, suggesting that, yes, the base will remain unchanged for now.
President Trump confirmed as much in his statement, warning that American interests on the island are stronger than ever.
“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,” President Trump concluded.