UK’s Chagos Islands Handover “an Act Of Great Stupidity” After Once Backing It

UK’s Chagos Islands handover “an act of great stupidity” after once backing it
London/Washington U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a blistering critique of the UK Mauritius Chagos Islands agreement, calling Britain’s decision to cede sovereignty of the territory including the crucial Diego Garcia military base “an act of great stupidity.” The comments mark a sharp reversal from his previous stance supporting the deal. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that Britain’s move to hand control of the islands while retaining a lease-back arrangement for the military base was baffling and strategically weak. He warned that China and Russia would see it as “total weakness” and said it underscored “national security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired.” The president’s criticism comes months after he appeared to support the agreement during talks with UK leaders, a shift that has left some diplomats and analysts bewildered. The Chagos Islands deal struck last year transfers legal sovereignty to Mauritius while allowing the UK to continue operating the important UK US military base on Diego Garcia under a long-term lease.Trump’s attack links the handover to his broader, controversial campaign to “acquire” Greenland from Denmark, reigniting tensions with European allies.
His choice of words calling an ally’s strategic decision “great stupidity” has raised eyebrows in London and beyond amid already strained transatlantic relations. No official UK government response had been published at the time of reporting, but senior British figures have recently urged calm and dialogue over disputes with Trump’s administration. Meanwhile, the Chagos sovereignty transfer continues its path toward implementation under existing international agreements.