- Donald Trump has criticised the UK government’s decision to hand the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius, saying the deal is part of the reason the US has to take control of Greenland
Donald Trump has lashed out at the UK in his latest Truth Social post.
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.”
He is referring to the UK’s decision to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which includes the island of Diego Garcia and its UK-US military base.
Under the signed deal, the site of the base will be leased back to the UK for 99 years.
Trump called this a “GREAT STUPIDITY”, which is “another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired.”
Trump’s full post reads:
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s declaration that the UK handing over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritus is an act of “GREAT STUPIDITY” won’t change the deal to give up the territory, a senior minister has told Sky News.
Asked whether Trump’s comments would change the Chagos deal, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said: “We’ve done a deal with the Mauritian government. We’ve legislated for the process. We’ve agreed the terms of the treaty, which has been signed.”
“This is the way in which to secure that military base for the next 100 years.”
Jones said the US had previously “welcomed” the deal, and said the islands’ complex situation under international law meant the deal was needed to “protect its military capabilities.”
Asked by Sophy Ridge whether Sir Keir Starmer’s approach of trying to stay close to Trump was working, Jones said: “Keir Starmer’s been criticised for not tweeting or shouting or kind of banging the table and calling the president names, as other world leaders have.
“Actually, the approach that he and the government have taken, serious British diplomatic skill has resulted in the UK being better off than any other country in the world in the face of changes to the American administration.”
Written with reports from Sky News
