Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) has called on United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer to stop a plan that would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia, from the U.K. to Mauritius. Kennedy made his remarks during a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
In his speech, Kennedy said, “The only person on this planet who thinks this is a good idea besides Prime Minister Starmer is Xi Jinping of China. He has been, for years, anticipating that this might happen, cozying up to Mauritius, and they have become best buddies. . . . Because once Mauritius owns the Chagos Islands—even though they say they are going to sign a lease and allow the U.K. and America to continue to operate the military base—once Mauritius owns the islands, I can guarantee you that China is going to put the pressure on Mauritius to allow China to force inspections of military equipment on all of the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia. Isn’t that special?”
Kennedy also addressed Starmer directly: “So, I am asking you, Prime Minister Starmer . . . please do the right thing here. If you are determined to give away these islands to Mauritius, which never owned them, which inevitably is going to help China, if you are determined to divest the people of the United Kingdom of these islands, please sell them to the United States. I will sponsor the legislation happily, enthusiastically, to appropriate the money to do it. And then the United Kingdom can be out of the picture, and the United States can continue to control one of the mightiest and most important military bases in all of human history.”
Diego Garcia is noted as an important joint U.S.-U.K. military facility and is one of few locations worldwide where American submarines can be reloaded.
The government in Mauritius has recently moved closer diplomatically with China’s leadership. Its prime minister has expressed interest in strengthening ties with Beijing.
Kennedy has previously criticized efforts by Britain’s government regarding Diego Garcia since October 2024 through public statements and opinion articles in The Hill and The Telegraph. He also wrote letters seeking clarification about U.S involvement in discussions over control of these islands.
Kennedy hosted British critics at his office and participated in media features expressing concerns about transferring control away from Britain or its allies.
Senator Kennedy represents Louisiana in Congress and chairs committees such as Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs while serving on others including Appropriations and Energy and Natural Resources according to his official website. He operates offices throughout Louisiana—including Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans and Shreveport—and provides constituent services ranging from assistance with federal agencies to academy nominations as outlined online.
