US President Donald Trump has said Britain’s decision to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is one of the reasons he wants to acquire Greenland. In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump described the handover as an act of 'total weakness' and 'great stupidity'.
Trump wrote that the UK is 'giving away extremely important land' and that China and Russia had noticed the move. He argued this supports the case for the US to take over Greenland, a territory of Nato ally Denmark.
A UK government spokesperson responded by saying the deal secures the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia for generations and had been welcomed by the US, Australia, and other allies. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones insisted British diplomacy is working despite the 'noisy' criticism.
The comments drew support from Conservative and Reform UK figures. Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel called the deal a '£35bn Chagos surrender', while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Trump was 'right' and that the policy weakens UK security. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage welcomed Trump’s apparent veto.
The UK has signed a £3.4bn agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, but the deal faces opposition in the House of Lords. Jones said the prime minister is staying calm and that private diplomacy continues.
