WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) has strongly criticized the proposed agreement to cede the Chagos Islands, including the strategically vital Diego Garcia military base, from the United Kingdom to Mauritius. In an op-ed published in The Telegraph, Kennedy highlighted the national security risks associated with the deal and praised the Trump administration’s involvement in halting its progress.
Key Points from Kennedy’s Op-Ed
- Kennedy lauded U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer for including the Trump administration in negotiations, stating, “Friends don’t strike deals behind each other’s backs, especially when our shared security is on the line.”
- The op-ed criticized the United Nations’ pressure on the U.K. to relinquish the islands, dismissing it as part of an “anti-Western agenda.”
- Kennedy emphasized that the Chagos Islands deal could jeopardize the safety of the U.S., U.K., and Chagossian people, calling for the agreement to be abandoned permanently.
Background on the Controversy
- In October 2024, the U.K. announced a deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius following years of U.N. pressure. The Biden administration reportedly encouraged finalizing the agreement before U.S. and Mauritian elections.
- Diego Garcia, located on the Chagos Islands, is home to a joint U.S.-U.K. military base critical to security operations in the Indian Ocean.
- Critics, including Kennedy, have warned that ceding control of the islands to Mauritius could create a security vacuum that adversaries like China might exploit.
Opposition to the Deal
- Former Rep. Mike Waltz, President Trump’s nominee for National Security Advisor, has voiced concerns about China potentially taking advantage of the situation if the U.K. relinquishes control of the islands.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the deal a “serious threat” to U.S. military interests in the region.
Kennedy’s call for abandoning the agreement aligns with his previous efforts to seek transparency about the Biden administration’s role in the negotiations. He previously wrote to then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken requesting clarification on the matter.
Read Kennedy’s full op-ed on The Telegraph: It’s time to ditch the Chagos Islands deal for good.