Former U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized the United Kingdom’s agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, calling the move an “act of great stupidity” and “total weakness.” This unexpected condemnation, months after he and senior U.S. officials had reportedly endorsed the deal, has created political turbulence for the current UK government and raised questions about the future of a vital joint military base on Diego Garcia.
The UK government has staunchly defended its agreement with Mauritius, which involves transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands while retaining control of the crucial UK-US military base on Diego Garcia through a 99-year lease. A government spokesperson stated that the deal was necessary because the base’s operational status was threatened by court decisions. They emphasized that the agreement secures the base’s capabilities for generations and was welcomed by allies, including the United States.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump expressed shock that the UK was planning to give away Diego Garcia “FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.” He argued that this action demonstrated “total weakness” and suggested it would be noticed by China and Russia. Trump also linked the Chagos Islands situation to his previous interest in acquiring Greenland, framing it as another national security concern. This abrupt reversal has been seized upon by domestic political opponents in the UK, who argue it undermines Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s diplomatic efforts with the former president.
The Chagos Islands were separated from Mauritius in 1965 when Mauritius was still a British colony. Mauritius has long argued that it was illegally compelled to cede the islands as a condition for its independence. The recent agreement, valued at approximately £3.4 billion ($4.6 billion), aims to resolve this long-standing sovereignty dispute. Under the terms, the UK would lease back Diego Garcia for an average annual cost of £101 million.
Despite Trump’s current criticism, UK officials maintain that the United States, along with other Five Eyes allies (Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), supports the deal. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s office stated that the US president had explicitly recognized the strength of the agreement previously. The UK government plans to engage with the Trump administration to reiterate the deal’s benefits. Meanwhile, Mauritius’s attorney general has affirmed his expectation that the agreement will proceed, emphasizing that the archipelago’s sovereignty under international law is already recognized.
Two British Chagossian women, Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, who were born on Diego Garcia, have expressed a desire to return to their homeland and feel excluded from the deal-making process. While Pompe views Trump’s criticism as potentially positive, she notes it is “only words.” Dugasse hopes the deal will halt and that Chagossians will be included in decisions about their future.