UK Defends Chagos Islands Deal After Trump Brands Handover ‘Great Stupidity’

The UK government has pushed back strongly against criticism from US President Donald Trump over Britain’s decision to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, insisting the agreement safeguards one of the world’s most strategically important military bases.

Downing Street said the deal, signed in May 2025, guarantees the long-term future of the joint US-UK military facility on Diego Garcia, despite Trump accusing London of acting with “great stupidity”.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Trump said Britain was “giving away extremely important land”, describing the move as a serious national security mistake. He went further, linking the issue to his long-standing argument that Greenland should be acquired by the United States for strategic reasons.

The remarks mark a sharp shift in tone from the US president. When the agreement was finalised last year, the Trump administration publicly backed the deal, saying it ensured continued American access to the base.

Responding to the criticism, a UK government spokesperson said the agreement “secures the operations of the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia for generations”.

“The deal contains robust protections to preserve the base’s unique military capabilities and to prevent hostile actors from gaining influence in the region,” the spokesperson added.

London also stressed that the agreement has broad international support, noting it was welcomed by the United States, Australia and other Five Eyes intelligence partners, as well as countries including India, Japan and South Korea.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier described the pact as a “historic agreement”, saying it guaranteed the “long-term, stable and effective operation” of the military facility.

Under the terms of the deal, Britain will transfer sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius but retain the Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease, with an option to extend. The UK will pay Mauritius £101 million annually, with the total cost estimated at about £3.4 billion over the lifetime of the lease once inflation is taken into account.

UK cabinet minister Darren Jones said the treaty was already signed and progressing through Parliament, leaving no room for reversal. “I can’t turn the clock back on that,” he told Times Radio.

The Chagos Islands were separated from Mauritius in the 1960s, before the island nation gained independence. Britain retained control of the territory and forcibly removed thousands of Chagossians to make way for the military base — a move that has since been the subject of decades of legal and political controversy.

In 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled that the UK should end its administration of the islands, a decision that increased legal pressure on London and raised concerns about the long-term security of the base.

The deal has deepened political divisions at home. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said Trump was “right” to criticise the agreement, while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage welcomed what he described as Trump’s opposition to the “surrender” of the islands.

By contrast, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said Prime Minister Keir Starmer should take a firmer stance against the US president and defend Britain’s foreign policy decisions.

Trump’s comments come amid broader tensions between Washington and European capitals, including threats of new tariffs linked to disputes over Greenland’s sovereignty.