UK Examines Whether Trump Has Power to Derail Chagos Deal

The UK government is seeking to determine whether Donald Trump has the power to derail its plans to hand over sovereignty of a strategically vital island to Mauritius, after the US president called into question a deal he previously backed.

Ministers are also trying to establish if the US administration intends to veto the deal over the Chagos Islands, according to a person familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity speaking about a diplomatically sensitive topic. They said that if the US does change its long-held position, it would likely be enough to unravel the agreement.