Trump calls UK’s Chagos Islands deal act of ‘great stupidity’
US president Donald Trump has launched a blistering attack on Britain, calling Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius one of “great stupidity”.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, the US president said the deal is “another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired”.
The criticism comes just one day after the UK prime minister called for calm amongst the US and Nato allies, amid rising tensions over Trump’s Greenland ambitions.
Lashing out in an online rant, the US president wrote: “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.”
Last year, the Sir Keir agreed a controversial deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while retaining control of the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
The UK has agreed to pay Mauritius at least £120 million annually during the 99-year agreement to lease back the site, a total cost in cash terms of at least £13 billion.
Trump appeared to indicate his support for the deal last year, as he told Sir Keir during his visit to the White House in February that he was “inclined to go with your country” and that he had “a feeling it’s going to work out very well”.
But early on Tuesday morning, the US president launched a scathing attack on the move as he ramped up his rhetoric on acquiring the Arctic territory of Greenland.
“There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness,” he wrote.
“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.
“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.”
In another post on Truth Social, Mr Trump shared what appeared to be an AI generated image of he and his vice president JD Vance planting a US flag on a snowy landscape with a signpost that reads “Greenland, US territory, est 2026”.
A further post showed a doctored image of the US president meeting European leaders in the White House, with a map that highlighted the US, Canada and Greenland in the colours of the American flag.
When asked whether Trump’s criticism could change the deal shortly, government minister Darren Jones told Sky News on Tuesday morning: “We’ve agreed the terms of the treaty which has been signed.”
He insisted that Britain shouldn’t “be embarrassed or humiliated at all” by the deal and told the BBC: “The deal was welcomed by President Trump and the American administration.
“Because the deal not only secured the island for the next century, but because it gave us very important security guarantees about the functioning of the island and the seas near it.”
This is a breaking story, more to follow…
Source: independent.co.uk
