US President Donald Trump said Britain’s plan to return sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius was “an act of utter weakness”, adding that it was “yet another in a very long list of national security reasons to acquire Greenland”.
In the Chagos Archipelago is Diego Garcia Island where there is a strategically important US-UK military airbase in the Indian Ocean.
The agreement to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, approved by the US, was signed in London last May. According to the text, Britain returns Chagos to Mauritius, but retains control of the airbase by leasing Diego Garcia for 99 years.
“Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, Britain, is currently planning to give away Diego Garcia Island, home to a vital US Military Base, to Mauritius, and is doing so FOR NO REASON,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“The fact that Britain is ceding a hugely important territory is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY and adds to the very long list of National Security reasons why Greenland should be acquired,” the US president added.
“There is no doubt that China and Russia noticed this act of complete weakness,” he said. “These are International Powers that do not recognize anything except the US, which is why the United States of America, under my leadership, is now, after just one year, more respected than ever.”
“Denmark and its European Allies must DO THE RIGHT THING,” Trump concluded in his post.
The signing of the agreement to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius was delayed after Trump’s inauguration in January 2025 in order for London to give the new US administration time to consider the details of the plan.
What does Britain answer?
The agreement to return the Chagos Islands from Britain to Mauritius “secures the operations of the US-British base in Diego Garcia for many generations”, a Downing Street spokesman said today, responding to criticism from US President Donald Trump.
The representative of the British government emphasized that London “will never compromise on our national security. We acted because the base in Diego Garcia was under threat following court decisions that undermined our position and would prevent it from operating in the future.”
“The agreement secures the operations of the US-UK joint base at Diego Garcia for many generations, with strong provisions to keep its unique capabilities intact and to deter our adversaries,” he added.
The spokesman also recalled that the agreement had been “publicly praised by the US, Australia and all other Five Eyes partners (Canada and New Zealand), as well as key international partners such as India, Japan and South Korea”.
