Furious US president ruthlessly moves to kill off the surrender deal just as the Prime Minister’s power drains away in the UK
Donald Trump is focused on preserving and projecting power (Image: Getty)
You can picture Sir Keir Starmer’s face when he heard that Donald Trump had called on him to ditch the deal to give the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The US president will see Sir Keir as a lame duck prime minister whose power is draining away by the day.
He has no inclination to avoid humiliating Sir Keir, but every incentive to show that he is calling the shots when it comes to the future of the US-UK Diego Garcia military base.
Here are five reasons why Mr Trump is trying to derail Sir Keir’s deal.
1. Trump and his team want to counter China’s power
Mr Trump is president as China’s Xi Jinping is growing in power (Image: Getty)
The Trump White House and the Pentagon are packed with “hawks” who are adamant that the US must not show weakness as China morphs from an economic superpower into a military one.
Any deal that casts doubt on the long-term future of the Indo-Pacific base will horrify those for whom preserving and projecting US power is the paramount priority.
2. Trump is listening to Brits who hate the Chagos deal
Britain’s hospitality has not stopped Donald Trump taking to social media to blast the PM’s deal (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir rolled out multiple red carpets for the president on the recent state visit, but the PM is by no means the only Brit who has Mr Trump’s ear. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Conservatives such as Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who hate the Chagos deal, have influential friends and contacts in Republican circles.
Mr Trump, who considers himself the world’s master dealmaker, will be getting a clear message: Starmer was pushed by lawyers into negotiating a humiliating deal for the UK, which endangers the long-term future of your critical military base. His power in Parliament has collapsed, and he has been forced into successive U-turns. Mr President, you can kill off this deal.
3. Trump wants Greenland and is appalled Britain is giving up territory
Territory matters to Mr Trump, and his desire for Greenland triggered a crisis within NATO (Image: Getty)
Yes, the US State Department welcomed the Chagos agreement, but that will not stop the president trashing it. He has no time for career diplomats who are focused on the niceties of international law and may even regard them as survivors of his purge of the “deep state”.
Hawks throughout Washington DC will urge him to sweep aside anyone who shares Sir Keir’s view that he had to strike a deal with Mauritius. A president who covets Greenland will not understand why a close ally is surrendering the sovereignty of a key territory.
4. Trump is angry at Europe’s weakness
Mr Trump wants European leaders to stop relying on the US for defence (Image: Getty)
Mr Trump will see the Mauritius deal as the latest sign of pathetic European weakness in a dangerous world.
When leading military and security experts warn that Britain is woefully underprepared for war with Russia and needs to radically increase defence spending, Mr Trump will be appalled that the UK is prepared to weaken its grip on Diego Garcia.
He believes it is the duty of leaders to ruthlessly pursue their own country’s interests. And it is in his interests to have this row now.
5. Trump is using the row to send a message to Iran
Mr Trump is pushing Iran to abandon its nuclear programme and there is speculation about air strikes (Image: Getty)
Mr Trump said the US may have to use this base to “eradicate a potential attack” by Iran. This comes as he demands that the Tehran regime abandon its nuclear programme or face devastating consequences.
Slapping down Sir Keir is an opportunity to rattle his sabre at Iran. This is realpolitik in action, and Mr Trump will not worry at all if such high-stakes antics drive the PM nuts.
