UK Defends Chagos Islands Deal After Trump Criticism

The UK government said on Tuesday its deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius “secures” the future of a key US-UK military base on the Indian Ocean archipelago, after US President Donald Trump accused Britain of “great stupidity.”

Trump’s comments mark a significant shift in his position, as he had previously endorsed the agreement when it was signed in May 2025. On Tuesday, he wrote on his Truth Social platform: “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.”

The criticism comes amid broader tensions between Trump and European allies, following his threat to impose tariffs on Britain and other countries for protecting Greenland’s sovereignty from Washington.

Under the Chagos agreement, Britain will hand control of the archipelago to its former colony, Mauritius, while paying to lease Diego Garcia, the largest island and site of a key US-UK military base, for a century. Downing Street defended the deal, saying it “secures the operations of the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia for generations, with robust provisions for keeping its unique capabilities intact and our adversaries out.”

A government spokesperson noted that the agreement had been welcomed by the US, Australia, other Five Eyes allies, and key international partners including India, Japan, and South Korea. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the time of the deal in May 2025 that Washington “welcomes the historic agreement” and that the Trump administration had determined it “secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint US-UK military facility at Diego Garcia.”

UK cabinet minister Darren Jones told Times Radio that the treaty had been signed with the Mauritian government and could not be reversed. He added that the deal was in the final stages of parliamentary approval.

Britain retained control of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s, but thousands of islanders were evicted and have since sought compensation through British courts. In 2019, the International Court of Justice recommended that Britain return the archipelago to Mauritius after decades of legal challenges. The UK government said that uncertainties in international and domestic courts had previously left the military base “under threat.”

The deal involves Britain paying Mauritius £101 million ($136 million) annually for 99 years to lease Diego Garcia, which would amount to approximately £3.4 billion over the lease period, factoring in inflation.

The arrangement has drawn criticism from opposition figures. Conservative politician Kemi Badenoch said, “Unfortunately on this issue President Trump is right,” while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage added, “Thank goodness Trump has vetoed the surrender of the Chagos islands.”

By contrast, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resist pressure from Trump. “This shows Starmer’s approach to Trump has failed. The Chagos Deal was sold as proof the government could work with him. Now it’s falling apart. It’s time for the government to stand up to Trump; appeasing a bully never works,” he said.