The White House is considering a plan to buy the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, the Telegraph newspaper reported this Sunday (7).
US officials have drawn up a proposal to bypass the UK and strike their own deal to take control from Diego Garcia, the report said.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. The White House and the UK Foreign Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The plan is among several options being analyzed by the White House, according to a document that aims to offer alternatives to the cession of the sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, according to the report.
The White House has held regular discussions with Downing Street about how to secure Diego Garcia’s future, the report added.
In April, the UK government suspended its agreement to cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, home to the American-British Diego Garcia air base, which was criticized by Trump.
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In February, Trump said the deal was a ‘big mistake’.
