Donald Trump has softened his stance on the UK’s plan to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, stating the deal was the “best” Keir Starmer could make. The US president had previously described the sovereignty transfer as an “act of great stupidity” and linked it to his push for US control of Greenland.
Under the agreement, Britain would cede control of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius but lease the largest island, Diego Garcia, for 99 years to maintain a joint US-UK military base. Trump endorsed the handover during Starmer’s White House visit last year, but last month on Truth Social he criticised it as a sign of weakness and a national security risk.
After a “very productive” phone call with Starmer on Thursday, Trump appeared to backtrack, writing on Truth Social that Diego Garcia is “strategically situated” and of “great importance” to US national security. He added that US military operations have succeeded partly due to the base’s location, and that the deal was “the best he could make”. However, he warned that if the lease ever falls apart, he retains the right to “militarily secure and reinforce” the American presence, and would not allow the base to be threatened by “fake claims or environmental nonsense”.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the leaders agreed on the deal’s importance for securing the joint base and that the UK and US would continue to work closely on implementation. The Conservative Party and Reform UK have been highly critical of the deal; shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel called it a “massive strategic blunder” and said the lease could collapse, endangering national security.
Trump’s reversal follows a softening of his stance on Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, after talks with Nato’s secretary-general last month.
