Strategic Veto |
When a mid-sized power negotiates the transfer of territory tied to a critical military asset, sovereignty becomes a secondary question. That reality has been laid bare in the stalled plan for the Chagos Islands, where a carefully structured agreement has run aground not on law or diplomacy, but on shifting political winds in Washington. The proposed arrangement was, on paper, a pragmatic compromise.
Britain would transfer sovereignty to Mauritius while securing long-term operational control over the strategically vital Diego Garcia base through a leaseback arrangement. For London, it promised a resolution to a long-festering decolonisation dispute without sacrificing security interests. For Mauritius, it offered long-denied recognition of sovereignty. Yet the deal contained an unspoken clause: it depended on unwavering American consent. That consent has now faltered. Under President Donald Trump, support appears to have shifted from endorsement to........