UPDATE 2-Britain has not paused Chagos Island deal ratification after US criticism

​Britain on Wednesday rowed back ‌from saying ​it had paused ratification of a deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos ‌Archipelago, which is home to a strategically important U.S.-UK air base. Earlier a foreign office minister had told parliament that the ratification process had ‌been paused pending talks with the United States, but a ‌spokesperson later said that was not the case.

​Britain on Wednesday rowed back ‌from saying ​it had paused ratification of a deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos ‌Archipelago, which is home to a strategically important U.S.-UK air base.

Earlier a foreign office minister had told parliament that the ratification process had ‌been paused pending talks with the United States, but a ‌spokesperson later said that was not the case. "There is no pause. We have never set a deadline. Timings will be announced in the usual way," ⁠the spokesperson said.

"We ​are continuing ⁠discussions with the U.S., and we have been clear we will not proceed ⁠without their support." Last year British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed a ​deal to transfer sovereignty of the Indian Ocean islands to Mauritius, ⁠while keeping control of Diego Garcia through a 99-year lease that preserved U.S. ⁠operations ​there.

But Trump last week renewed his criticism of that deal, saying Starmer was making a "big mistake". The bill to ratify ⁠the deal is currently in parliament's upper chamber where a number of ⁠objections ⁠have been raised and a debate and vote has not yet been scheduled.