US President Donald Trump has softened his criticism of the UK’s plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, describing the deal as the “best” Prime Minister Keir Starmer could make. The shift follows a “very productive” phone call between the two leaders on Thursday.
Last month, Trump had called the handover an “act of great stupidity” on Truth Social, warning that China and Russia would exploit the move. He also cited the deal as a reason for the US to acquire Greenland. However, after the call, Trump wrote that Diego Garcia, home to a joint US-UK military base, is “strategically situated” and of “great importance” to US national security.
Trump added that while he understands the deal is the best Starmer could achieve, he reserved the right to “militarily secure and reinforce” the US presence on Diego Garcia if the lease ever falls apart or is threatened by “fake claims or environmental nonsense.” The UK would retain a 99-year lease on the island under the agreement.
A Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that Starmer and Trump “agreed on the importance of the deal to secure the joint UK-US base” and would continue to work closely on its implementation. The deal has faced fierce criticism from the Conservative Party and Reform UK, with shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel calling it a “massive strategic blunder.”
