Trump opposes Chagos deal at first meeting with Burnham

President Donald Trump publicly opposed the UK's agreement to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius during his first face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. Asked about the agreement at a joint press conference after the talks, Trump said he does not support it. "I don't support it. I think it's terrible. It was a terrible deal," Trump said, calling the transfer of sovereignty ridiculous and describing the archipelago as a very important piece of real estate, militarily and strategically for both the UK and the US. He added that he thought Burnham was going to be looking at it, to which Burnham responded affirmatively. The deal, agreed under Burnham's predecessor Sir Keir Starmer, would see Britain cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and pay to lease back the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. It has been on hold since April amid White House opposition. The agreement cannot proceed unless the US agrees to amend a 1966 treaty granting the US and UK joint military use of the islands.