President Donald Trump has accused Britain of being “stupid” over its plan to hand over ownership of the Chagos Islands, including the US Air Force Diego Garcia base, to Mauritius.
“Shockingly, our ‘illustrious’ NATO ally, the United Kingdom, is now planning to cede Diego Garcia Island…for no reason whatsoever. There is no doubt that China and Russia are aware of this act of utter weakness,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social early Tuesday morning.
“It would be a very foolish move for the UK to cede land that is so important to them,” he added, citing the move as another reason for the US government to take control of Greenland.
The US president’s renewed opposition to the Chagos Islands plan has reignited a heated debate in the UK, despite him hailing the deal last year as a “monumental achievement”.
What is the Chagos Islands?
These islands make up an archipelago in the heart of the Indian Ocean, more than 1,000 miles northeast of Mauritius. After Napoleon’s defeat, Britain occupied the island along with Mauritius in 1814 under the Treaty of Paris.
In 1965, a Cold War agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, maintained control of the islands, and renamed them the British Indian Ocean Territory. Over time, many Chagossians were expelled from the island to make space for military bases, and most were resettled in Mauritius. Although Mauritius gained independence in 1968, the Chagos Islands remain under British rule.
Hoping to deter Soviet military influence in the region, the United States and Britain built a large base in Diego Garcia in 1971. One of America’s most important and top-secret foreign assets, Diego Garcia helped launch two invasions of Iraq, served as a key landing site for bombers flying missions across Asia, and has been involved in U.S. return efforts.
Why would Britain relinquish control of the islands?
Mauritius has claimed sovereignty over the islands for decades and pursued the case in international tribunals. In 2019, the United Nations’ highest court, the International Court of Justice, ruled that Britain must return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius “as soon as possible.” The court said in its judgment that the move would enable Mauritius to “complete the decolonization of its territory consistent with the right of its peoples to self-determination.”
Although the ruling was not legally binding, Britain faces increasing international pressure to relinquish control of the islands. Successive British governments (both Conservative and Labor) have argued that this is a test of Britain’s commitment to international law.
Will the UK and US still have access to the island?
Only Diego Garcia. Under the terms of a treaty approved and signed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mauritian Prime Minister in May 2025, the UK will transfer sovereignty over the entire Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
However, Britain will pay Mauritius 101 million pounds ($136 million) annually for a 99-year lease on the Diego Garcia military base, allowing Britain and the United States to continue using the facility.
At the time, the US State Department said the US “welcomed” the UK-Mauritius agreement.
“After a comprehensive interagency review, the Trump administration determined that this agreement will ensure long-term, stable and effective operation,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement at the Diego Garcia meeting, adding that Trump “expressed his support for this monumental achievement” in a meeting with Starmer.
The deal has been closely scrutinized by both houses of the British Parliament and is nearing final approval, but Trump’s sudden opposition to the deal has prompted renewed criticism from right-wing British politicians.
Nigel Farage, leader of the populist British Reform Party, said on Tuesday: “Americans have woken up to the fact that they have been lied to.” “They were told that Britain had no choice but to surrender the Chagos Islands. This was simply not true and now they are angry with us.”
Kemi Badenoch, leader of the opposition Conservative Party, went further than Trump, saying: “Paying for the extradition of the Chagos Islands is not just stupidity, it’s complete self-sabotage.”
However, with Labor holding an overwhelming majority in parliament, it is unclear whether opposition from President Trump or anger among opposition parties will invalidate the deal.
Trump said that despite his previous praise, the decision would be seen by China and Russia as “an act of complete weakness.”
“These are international powers that recognize nothing but strength. That’s why, just one year later, under my leadership, the United States of America is more respected than ever before,” he said.
Negotiations between the British and Mauritian governments took place without Chagossian involvement. The global population of Chagossians is estimated to be around 10,000, with the majority living in the United Kingdom, Mauritius, and the Seychelles.
A poll of more than 3,600 respondents by Whitestone Insights found that the global Chagossian community “overwhelmingly” supports British Remain and opposes the transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius.
What does Greenland have to do with it?
At first glance, there’s not much to it. Trump claimed that Britain’s relinquishing control of the Chagos Islands was “another in a long line of national security reasons why we must acquire Greenland,” without elaborating.
President Trump cited several reasons why he believes Washington should occupy Greenland. The president on Monday linked his hopes of winning Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, saying it meant he no longer felt an obligation to “think purely about peace.”
In many ways, President Trump’s opposition to the Starmer deal represents a clash of worldviews. Mr Starmer claims Britain has a legal obligation to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, but Mr Trump has made it clear that he does not accept such constraints.
Asked last week by the New York Times what would confirm his power on the world stage, Trump replied, “There’s one thing: my own moral compass. My own heart. That’s the only thing that can stop me.” He also said, “We don’t need international law.”
