Former US President Donald Trump has launched a blistering verbal assault on Sir Keir Starmer, condemning the UK Prime Minister's decision to relinquish sovereignty of the Chagos Islands as an act of "great stupidity" and "total weakness".
A Deal Under Fire
The controversy centres on the UK Government's treaty, signed in May 2025, to return the British Indian Ocean Territory, including the strategically vital Diego Garcia military base, to Mauritius. The deal, which followed international court rulings supporting Mauritian sovereignty claims, involves the UK paying £35 billion over a 99-year period to lease back the base. Despite the US initially welcoming the agreement as securing the base's future, Trump's latest intervention has thrown the policy into disarray.
In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump lambasted the move. "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 wrote. He argued that adversaries like China and Russia had "noticed this act of total weakness".
Political Repercussions and a Greenland Link
Trump's outburst, which caught Number 10 off guard given his previous praise for the deal, came as legislation to finalise the agreement faces a parliamentary battle between the Commons and the Lords. The former president explicitly linked the Chagos decision to his own pursuit of Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory. "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," he stated.
Opponents of the deal in the UK were quick to seize on Trump's comments. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch declared, "Unfortunately for the Prime Minister, Donald Trump is right on the Chagos deal." She criticised the surrender of territory and the £35 billion cost, framing it as against the British national interest. Reform UK's Nigel Farage went further, claiming Trump had effectively "vetoed the surrender of the Chagos islands".
Government Defence and Diplomatic Strain
The UK Government has mounted a robust defence of its policy. A spokesman insisted, "The UK will never compromise on our national security." They argued that legal challenges threatened the base's future and that the new treaty "secures the operations of the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia for generations". The deal has reportedly been welcomed by Five Eyes allies and partners including Australia, India, Japan, and South Korea.
However, the incident threatens to strain Sir Keir Starmer's carefully cultivated relationship with the US president. Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, a close ally of the PM, suggested Trump's real frustration lay with Greenland. "I don't really believe this is about Chagos, I think it's about Greenland," McFadden said, advocating for dialogue with Denmark.
As Parliament prepares to debate the Lords' amendments to the Chagos legislation, Trump's intervention ensures the issue remains a highly charged point of diplomatic and domestic political contention.
