Starmer Talks to Trump on Ukraine Crisis, Chagos Islands Agreement
According to an official statement, the two leaders reviewed the situation in Ukraine, including overnight Russian strikes. Starmer highlighted the severity of the attacks, telling Trump that Russian forces’ "fierce attacks" on Ukraine’s vital infrastructure — particularly energy facilities — were "particularly depraved" as temperatures plunged below minus 20 degrees Celsius.
The call came as Washington confirmed that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will take part in trilateral talks with Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Thursday.
The conversation also covered the Diego Garcia military base, which is included in the broader Chagos Islands agreement. Both leaders acknowledged the strategic significance of the base.
"The leaders agreed their governments would continue working closely to guarantee the future operation of the base and speak again soon," the statement said.
Debate over the Chagos Islands arrangement has intensified in recent weeks. Planned parliamentary discussions in the UK were postponed last month following criticism from Trump, who later described the agreement between London and Mauritius as "an act of great stupidity."
Under the deal signed last May, the UK agreed to transfer sovereignty over the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius, ending more than two centuries of British administration. In return, the US and UK would retain the right to operate the Diego Garcia base for the next 99 years. The agreement has yet to take effect, as it remains subject to domestic approval procedures.
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