New Delhi: US President Donald Trump, in another dramatic reversal from his earlier stand, Tuesday attacked the UK for agreeing to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, calling it an act of “great stupidity” that signals weakness to China and Russia.
In a post on Truth Social ahead of his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said the decision to hand over Diego Garcia, home to a vital joint UK-US military base, would be viewed as “total weakness” by rival powers.
He linked this UK decision among the reasons for his push to acquire Greenland, saying that it underscored the need for American territorial expansion to ensure national security.
“Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness. These are International Powers who only recognize STRENGTH, which is why the United States of America, under my leadership, is now, after only one year, respected like never before,” Trump wrote.
He added: “The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired. Denmark and its European allies have to DO THE RIGHT THING.”
The attack marks a striking U-turn. Trump had previously hailed the agreement as a “monumental achievement” during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House.
Under the deal agreed in May last year, Britain was to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius while maintaining an initial 99-year lease of the Diego Garcia military base for more than $130 million annually. The agreement also included security and financial provisions.
A UK government spokesperson Tuesday defended the decision and said Britain would “never compromise on their national security”.
“We acted because the base on Diego Garcia was under threat after court decisions undermined our position and would have prevented it operating as intended in future,” the spokesperson told the BBC.
Also Read: Why does Trump want Greenland? Can he seize it, & is it normal to ‘buy’ another country?
Widening NATO rift
Trump’s comments come amid escalating tensions between the US and key NATO allies over his incessant pursuit of Greenland. The UK is the second country after France to face his public criticism this week.
On Monday, Trump threatened a 200% tariff on French wines and champagne after President Emmanuel Macron refused a seat at Trump’s Board of Peace, an international body announced by the US to resolve conflicts.
Greenland, Denmark and European leaders have insisted that Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, is not for sale, but Trump has threatened tariffs against any nation attempting to block his takeover bid.
At a press conference Monday, Starmer said that while Britain greatly values its “special relationship” with the US, only Greenland and Denmark can decide the island’s future. He spoke to Trump on Sunday, telling him he was wrong to threaten fresh tariffs on NATO allies over his Greenland demands.
The UK was the first country to strike a trade deal with Washington last year, a development often credited to Trump’s apparent warmth towards the country.
Decades-long dispute
Mauritius has claimed the Chagos archipelago for decades, arguing that the islands were unlawfully separated before its independence in 1968.
The islands became British territory in 1814, ceded to the UK along with Mauritius. In 1965, they were designated British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), with the UK providing Mauritius a £3 million grant and committing to return the islands when no longer required for defence purposes.
A year later, in 1966, the UK agreed to make BIOT available for a joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, the archipelago’s largest island. Displaced residents were resettled in Mauritius and the Seychelles, and some were relocated to the UK in 2002.
In 2019, the United Nations General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution, based on an International Court of Justice advisory opinion, demanding that the UK withdraw from the Chagos archipelago within six months. India was among 116 countries that voted for the resolution; only six countries — Australia, Hungary, Israel, Maldives, the US and the UK — voted against it.
After ignoring the UN move for three years, London announced the opening of negotiations in November 2022, when the then-Foreign Secretary James Cleverly confirmed talks with Port Louis over the archipelago’s future. The agreement transferring sovereignty was finalised in May 2024.
(Edited by Prerna Madan)
Also Read: Thank you Donald Trump, again. India now has reason to shed fear of trade deals and risky reform